


On the Dance Floor

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2013-05-11
Packaged: 2017-12-11 13:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aaron unexpectedly meets Penelope in a club, sparks fly, and things quickly get out of hand. And when she ends up kidnapped, how far will he go to get her back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

"I was much too far out all my life / And not waving but drowning" Stevie Smith

He had come there to escape. The gaudy neon lights were exactly the type of thing that would put the team off after a tough case, and this had been one of the roughest. He hadn't wanted to go out with them, had wanted to be alone on this night of all nights. He approached the bar and pulled out five hundred dollar bills. "Whiskey sour, neat, and keep them coming until I'm drunk or the first three hundred is gone, whichever comes first. The rest is yours," he said wearily.

The bartender pocketed the money and poured out the first drink. Aaron downed it like it was water, and set the glass back on the bar. Wordlessly, his drink was refilled and he sipped at it slowly. He groaned slightly as the song switched to one that he was very familiar with, unfortunately. Penelope had let Jack listen to her iPod the last time she had babysat for him, and it had quickly become his favorite song for some unknown reason, and as a result, Hotch heard it at least twice a day.

"Sorry. It's our favorite girl's favorite song. And it does have a good dance beat, which is perfect for a club."

"Favorite girl?"

"Turn around and you'll see her out there on the dance floor, in the middle of all the action."

Hotch did so, and found his gaze drawn to the bundle of blonde energy in the center of the floor, grinding her hips in time to the music. She lifted her face and he gasped in recognition. "Garcia," he whispered under his breath as their eyes met. She blushed, but didn't break the connection until after the song was over.

As the last strains of 'Telephone' faded into a new song, Hotch watched as she walked towards him, her hips swinging in time to the beat. He gulped down the rest of his drink and set the glass behind him for another.

"Hey, Boss Man, I didn't realize you all were back yet."

"Wheels touched down just a little bit ago. I'm sure Morgan will be calling you soon." He turned back to the bar and picked up his full glass, taking a sip. "So, back to blonde this week?"

"It was time for a change again. Did everything end well?" she asked, taking a seat on the stool next to him.

"No. We didn't get to the last victim in time. Dammit, I should have…" His voice trailed off and he stared into his glass. The case had been difficult, reminding him too much of the recent past. He'd wanted nothing more than to solve the case and come home.

As if she sensed his mood, she asked softly, "Is Jackers with Jessica, then?"

"Yes. It's so late, I didn't want to wake him up and bring him home." He looked at her empty hands and motioned to the bartender. "Add whatever she's having on to my tab."

The bartender returned with moments later with a very pink drink that suited Garcia to a 't'. She took a sip and smiled at him. The hours passed swiftly as the talked about inane things and drank. He had managed to make her laugh at one point and again, their eyes locked. Leaning forward, hardly aware of what he was doing, he kissed her softly.

She broke the kiss and grabbed his hand. "You don't have to be alone tonight, Sir," she said a bit breathlessly, her face flushed.

"Gar – Penelope, are you sure?" She nodded slightly and he squeezed her hand lightly. "Call me Aaron, then."

"All right, Aaron."

They got off their stools and as they moved to the door, he wrapped an arm around her waisr, pulling her closer to him. Penelope snuggled into his side, sighing lightly. Quickly, he hailed a cab and told the driver his address. A heavy silence filled the taxi as they drove through the night, though Penelope never let go of his hand. She absently stroked her thumb over the back of his hand, and he relished the small touches.

Finally, they were in front of his home and he hastily paid the taxi driver with a fifty. "Hey, keep the change," he said when the driver protested the amount. Eagerly, and yet apprehensively, he led Penelope up the short walk to his front door. He fumbled with his keys and she steadied his hand as he unlocked the door. He chuckled to himself – here he was, a grown man, and yet tongue-tied like a school boy. Opening the door, he led her inside, closing the door behind them.

Hotch didn't bother with the lights, instead bending to kiss her upturned face, his hands digging into her hair, pulling her closer to him. She moaned lowly and the sound of her sent shivers down his spine. His fingers left her hair to fumble with her clothes, pushing the light cardigan off her shoulders, unzipping her dress.

Penelope followed suit, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt before removing both from his body. As she shrugged out of her dress, she tugged his t-shirt from his pants, pulling it over his head. He pulled her close for another kiss, his hands making quick work of her bra clasp and he pulled the garment off her, relishing the feel of her soft breasts against his chest. Panting, he rested his forehead against hers. "Follow me," he whispered, taking hold of her hand once more.

"Anywhere, Aaron," he heard her softly reply as he led her up the stairs to his bedroom to finish what he had begun.

The next morning, he awoke to the sun shining in his window. He sat and stretched, smiling down at the figure still sleeping in his bed. She was quite lovely in the soft sunlight that fell on her. Bending, he placed a feather light kiss on her shoulder, and she stirred slightly, turning to wrap her arms around him. Looking over at the clock, he saw just why the sun was shining in his window.

"Pen, wake up," he said urgently as he gently shook her.

Slowly, her eyes blinked open, staring at him quizzically. "Boss Man, what are you, oh, oh dear," she stammered, pulling up the sheets to cover her chest, a bright blush staining her skin.

"Garcia, we're going to be later to work than we already are if you don't calm down a bit. My shower is just through the door next to this one. I'll use the guest bathroom today." He stood and walked over to his closet to pull out clothes for the day. When he turned back, he noticed she had not moved, though her hands had let go of the sheet to cover her face. Then he took in the slightly shaking shoulders and realized she was crying. She never cried when she could help it, and he moved back to her side, taking a seat on the bed and drawing her close to him. "What's wrong?"

She sniffled and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Sir. It's just – I'm sorry," she said softly.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Now, you need to get ready for work, same as I. Fifteen minutes, and I want you downstairs."

"Yes, Aaron."

He got up once more and took a quick shower, then dressed. Passing by his bedroom, he could hear the water still running. He couldn't get that image out of his head once it popped up. Penelope, in the shower, the water running down her body. Breathing deeply, he went downstairs and put his shoes on, then waited for her to appear.

Her face was bare of the usual makeup, making her look younger than she was, and she'd braided her hair into pigtails. "Aaron, don't you think it will look odd if we show up late together?"

"No, you'll go in first, and I'll follow a minute or two later. Let's get going." He opened the door to the garage and she went in and climbed in his car. He popped open the garage door, then joined her, backing the car down the drive and on to the road.

The drive was silent, and when he went to turn the radio on, knowing Garcia liked to listen to music, she stopped him, "Just let me savor this moment before I have to transfer out of the BAU." He glanced over at her, but she was staring out the window, watching the scenery pass by.

"I won't make you transfer, Penny. Morgan wouldn't let me." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her flinch, but she gave no indication as to what she was reacting to. They finally arrived at the office and Hotch parked in his spot. Garcia immediately got out and then squared her shoulders, putting on a smile. Soon, she was out of his line of sight and he got out of the car, locking it and then walking into the building. After passing through the metal detector, he made his way up to the BAU offices.

He'd just stepped inside the bull pen when JJ approached him. "We have a new case, Hotch. Can you get Garcia and meet us in the ready room? Morgan and I tried to get her attention, but she seemed not to notice us. Did anything happen to her while we were gone?"

Hotch slowly shook his head. "Not that I know of. I'll go see what's up and we'll be there in a few moments." JJ nodded and picked up the file from her desk before joining the rest of the team in the ready room. He went to Garcia's office and knocked on the door. When the door didn't open right away, he let himself in. "Garcia, we have a new – what are you doing?"

"Emergency makeup for the hickey you gave me last night. Morgan took one look at my neck and then stalked off." She finished applying concealer and pulled out a tube of her signature red lipstick.

"Don't," he said before he thought about what he was doing.

"Don't what?"

"Put that on today. You're beautiful as you are, there's no need for the armor this morning."

She looked at him as if he had grown a second head for a moment before slipping the lipstick back in the top drawer of her desk, smiling softly. "So, what's this case about?"

"JJ wouldn't say. Come on, before they come looking for us." He opened the door for her and then placed a warm hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the ready room.

"So, what do we have here?" he asked as Garcia took a seat between Morgan and Reid. JJ began to fill them in on the case and he switched into agent mode, listening intently.


	2. Chapter 2

"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The case had wrapped up quickly and they were home before he knew it. The rest of the team gathered in the bull pen, trying to decide what to do. While they were distracted, Hotch slipped unnoticed into his office, setting his go bag on the floor next to his desk. He pulled out a file that needed to be turned into Strauss soon and began to work on it when he heard a light tapping on his door. "Come in."

The door opened, and Penelope came in. She was wearing a brown polka-dot dress, somewhat demure for her usual style, and soft pink lipstick. She stood hesitantly in front of him, biting her lower lip and looking at the floor. Unbidden, a line from one of his English Lit courses came to mind. "But to me, the entirely beautiful," he murmured.

Penelope's head shot up and she looked into his eyes. "Excuse me, Sir?"

"Nothing. Did you want something, Garcia?"

"The team's heading over to the club now. You are coming, right?"

He shook his head. "I have a lot of paperwork to get through and file. Having two cases back to back hasn't left a lot of time to do it. But go on, have a good time." He went back to filling out the paperwork. A minute or two later, he looked up and saw she was still standing there.

"Sir, Hotch, please come with us, with me. You haven't been out with the team in such a long time. I know time with Jack is so important to you, but Jessica has him all this weekend. It might even be fun." She smiled slightly, looking at him over her glasses.

He sighed and pushed himself back from the desk. "Fine, then, just for a little while." The smile that lit up her face was worth his paperwork being a little delayed by a diversion with the team. As they walked out, he threaded his arm through hers and noticed the quick frisson of tension that flowed through her body before she relaxed next to him.

The short walk to the club was brisk, as the October nights were cooling rapidly. Penelope shivered in the breeze and he drew her closer to his side, wrapping his arm around her waist. Again, there was that moment of tension before she wrapped her own arm around him. They entered the club after a short wait in line and Garcia quickly spotted their team at a table close to the dance floor. Taking hold of his hand, she led him over to them and took a seat next to JJ.

"So, what are we drinking?" she asked.

"Prentiss here wanted to try a new shot she heard about from a friend. She should be back with a round in just a minute. The crowd's larger than usual, I was worried about you making it in before they reached capacity."

"And miss out on being with you guys? No way!" Garcia quickly replied, a smile on her face.

"All right, I have seven Red-Headed Lesbian Kick Boxers on this tray," Prentiss said as she set the tray down on the table. "Each and every one of you has to take one." She picked up her shot glass and knocked it back. The others followed suit, though Hotch found he didn't really like the drink.

As the girls began to talk about how Henry was doing, Hotch watched Morgan scan the club, looking for someone. He could tell when he found what he was looking for, as a slow grin spread over Morgan's face. Morgan got up and sauntered over to the simpering blonde, flirting for a bit before leading her out onto the dance floor. From the corner of his eye, Hotch saw Garcia frown quickly before plastering her smile back on.

"Can I get you anything while I'm up at the bar?" he asked as he stood up. JJ and Prentiss shook their heads no. "Garcia?"

"If they can make it, I'd like one Gideon's Green Dinosaur, please. I found it awhile back on the Webtender website, but haven't tried it yet." He nodded and walked up to the bar.

Fortunately, the bartender knew how to make Garcia's drink of choice, thought Aaron was startled to see just how much alcohol went into the drink. He picked up her drink and his glass of whiskey and rejoined everyone at the table. As he sipped at his drink, he watched as Penny quickly drank down her very green drink. Though she still kept up her side of the conversation, Hotch followed her gaze and saw she was staring quite intently at Morgan and his new friend.

He groaned slightly as 'Telephone' started blaring from the speakers, Garcia stood up unsteadily and tugged on his arm. "Come on, Boss Man. I need a partner on the dance floor." Reluctantly, he got up and followed her, trying to ignore the looks he got from JJ and Prentiss.

Garcia led him to the center of the floor, her hips moving to the rhythm of the song, her eyes riveted on Morgan. Hotch tried to follow her movements, but she seemed fueled by a passion he could hardly match. She drew his hands around her waist as she ground her hips into his pelvis, and he pulled her closer to him, resting his head on top of her. As the song ended, he spun her around to face him. Over his shoulder, he watched Morgan exit the club, the blonde on his arm.

A slow song came on next, and he swayed in time to the beat. Garcia had her arms wrapped around his waist, her face pressed close to his chest. As the song played on, his shirt began to feel damp. He took a step back from her and looked down at her face. She gasped and hastily wiped her tears away. "Don't be ashamed to feel, Penelope."

Sighing, she looked down at the floor. "I just wish I weren't so goddamned fat, or that you and Morgan were halfway blind." She seemed to shrink into herself, drawing her arms around her body and hugging herself. He gently reached up to brush away her tears with his thumb, and she leaned into the touch, smiling a somewhat crooked smile.

"Let's get out of here."

"And go where?"

"Any place. I'll take you wherever you want to go."

She looked up into his eyes with an intensity that startled him. "Your place, then. Don't deny me the chance to feel tonight."

He nodded once and slipped his hand into hers, letting her lead him out the door. He looked back to where they had been sitting, meeting JJ's gaze from across the room. Her mouth tightened and he could tell she wasn't happy about what was happening. He turned his attention back to Penny, letting the door close behind them. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked back to the office. His car was on the third floor of the parking garage, so they caught the elevator up. As soon as the doors had closed, he pushed her back against the wall as she threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling his head down to hers. Their lips met in a brutal, passionate kiss, each trying to get as close to the other as possible.

The doors slid open and they broke from the embrace. He led her to his car and opened the door for her. The drive to his house was silent as he tried to focus on what he was doing. Glancing over at Garcia, he could see she was lost in her own little world as well. He turned into his drive and parked the car in the garage.

An expectant hush fell over them both as Hotch led her up to his room. He flipped the light switch on and turned to look at her, surprised to see her blushing and staring at the floor. "What's wrong?"

"Could you please leave the light off? I-I don't mind the dark," she replied hesitantly.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him, her dark eyes bright with unshed tears. Gently, he kissed her forehead and then smiled as she relaxed into him. As he kissed her once more, he felt her hands creep up his chest and begin to fumble with the buttons of his shirt. He stepped back and let her slip his jacket off his shoulders and then loosen his tie, letting it fall to the floor. The more she removed, the more frantic her motions became until he stood before her naked. Penelope reached behind her back to tug at her zipper when he stopped her.

"Let me," he said, looking into her eyes as he replaced her hand on the zipper tab. He tugged quickly and then pushed the dress off her shoulders to pool on the floor with his clothing. She tried to cross her arms over her body, but he gently pushed them back to her sides. In one quick movement he unhooked her bra and pulled it off to join the rest of their clothes. She finally stepped out of her heels as he led her to the bed. She lay down and looked up at him as he knelt over her. Resting on his elbows, he bent to kiss her, then trailed feather light kisses down her neck and chest until he reached her erect nipples. Slowly, he took one into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue, He felt her hands pull his head closer, heard her whisper, "Aaron," with increasing fervor. As he entered her, she wrapped her legs around him, guiding him in deeper. She set a fast, desperate pace and they were both coming, her nails scratching down his back.

When they'd finished, he turned Penelope onto her side, spooning up against her. She snuggled up tight to him and he felt her yawn. He rested his head atop hers and whispered "Good night, dear heart," before drifting off to sleep himself.

He woke sometime later to a dark room and Penelope sitting up on the bed weeping. "What's wrong?" he asked as he sat up.

"He didn't call. He always calls me to say he's gotten home all right. It's stupid, I know, but it hurts so much."

"Don't let him do this to you. You deserve so much better." Gently, he kissed her shoulder, then turned her to face him on the bed. Their lovemaking this time was languorous as Aaron showed her with his body just how much she was worth and how beautiful she was. They fell asleep facing each other this time, her head on his chest, a sweet smile on her lips.

When morning came, he woke to an empty bed. Getting up, he opened the bedroom door and smelt the wonderful scent of breakfast. After a quick shower, he went downstairs and joined Penelope in the kitchen. "Careful, a guy could get used to this," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him.

"Stop that! You need to pick Jack up soon – there's no time to play this morning," she responded playfully, pulling away from him. He went and got out some plate and glasses, setting the table while she brought the skillet over to the table and portioned out eggs onto the plates. He then grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge and filled the glasses. Setting the carton on the table, he pulled out Penelope's chair for her and they began to eat.

"So, how would you like to spend the day with Jack and me? I know he'd love to spend some time with his Aunt Penny."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Awesome! We'll need to stop by my apartment, so I can get some clothes. I mean, you bathrobe is very comfortable, but I get the feeling Jack would be taking a lot of naps this weekend if this was all I was wearing,," she replied, smiling at him,

He nodded, and they hurriedly finished eating. He put the dishes in the washer while she ran upstairs to change back into her dress from last night. Once she had rejoined him, they walked out to the garage together.

It was a quick drive to her place, and he stayed in the car while she went in to get her things. She came out about ten minutes later dressed in a deep purple top and black and purple polka dotted skirt, a cardigan over the crook of her arm and her go bag in hand. Hotch popped the trunk and watched in the mirror as she tossed her bag in and shut the hood. As soon as she'd buckled her belt, he was off.

Soon, he was pulling into Jessica's drive. "I'll stay in the car while you get him, Aaron." He nodded and got out of the car. As he knocked on the door, he could hear Jack running down the hall towards where he stood.

The door opened and Jack enveloped him in a hug. "Daddy! You're here! Are we going to the park today?"

"I was thinking more like the zoo. How does that sound? We have a friend with us today."

Jack looked over to the car. "Aunt Penny!" he cried and took off for the vehicle.

"Is that why you're late?"

"She's a friend from work who loves Jack and needed to feel loved this weekend. Kids are great at that."

"Keep telling yourself that, Aaron. You might just believe it someday. Have a good time." She shut the door on him, and he walked over to his car. Penelope had opened the passenger door and was holding Jack on her lap, a smile of pure joy on her face. He couldn't help but smile himself at how lovely she looked holding his son.

"Well, are you ready to go?" he asked. Jack nodded and slid off Penelope's lap and opened his door. As soon as he was settled into his car seat, Aaron buckled him in. A happy chatter filled the car while he drove to the National Zoo.

Most of their morning was spent with the great cats exhibit and the pandas. Jack walked between them, holding on to their hands as he stared at the animals. Shortly after noon, they stopped in at the café. While Jack was finishing up his lunch, their phones went off.

Penelope looked at her caller id. "Oh, he's finally calling. Wonder what he wants?" She tapped on her phone. 'Garcia here." She turned from the table, a troubled look on her face.

He groaned a little under his breath to see JJ's number displayed on his phone. "Hotchner."

"Hey. Is Penelope still with you?"

"Yes. We're at the zoo with Jack today."

"God, Hotch, what are you thinking? Bringing her home with you? You'd better not hurt her, or there will be hell to pay, do you hear me? And what about Strauss? Have you even thought that far ahead here? Let me talk to her."

"Just a second, she's talking to Morgan at the moment." He pulled the phone away from his ear in time to hear the end of Penelope's conversation.

"Why did you even bother calling then, Morgan? I was having a wonderful time with Aaron and Jack until you called. Yes, he's here right now. Fine, here he is!" She thrust the phone in his direction. "He wants to talk to you."

"JJ for you, Pen," he responded as he took her phone. "Hotch here. What can I do for you, Morgan?"

"Why is she being like this? I didn't do anything to make her so mad at me."

Hotch expelled an angry breath. "Are you really that dense? After working with Penny for so many years, I can't believe you don't see how much she worships you. You need to make your choice before you hurt her further. I promise you, I will not let this go on much longer. Consider the line in the sand drawn."

"Whatever, man. I'll see you Monday." Morgan hung up and Aaron waited for Penelope to finish her conversation with JJ.

"Why are you and Aunt Penny so angry?" Jack piped up, his brow wrinkled with confusion.

Hotch looked at his son. "Our friends aren't being very nice at the moment, Jack. Don't worry though, we'll work things out."

Penelope handed Hotch his phone. "So, JJ wasn't too happy with me when I told her I was spending the weekend with you guys." She smiled at Jack. "But I so rarely get to see you, little man, that I can't have a girl's weekend. Isn't that right?"

He beamed up at her. "The whole weekend? Nights and everything?"

"Nights and everything. That is, if your father will have me." She looked up at Hotch and winked slyly.

"Of course we'll have you." He smiled at her and she grinned back. Looking over her shoulder, he saw a vaguely familiar face. "Hey, Penny, isn't that?"

Penelope glanced over to where he was pointing. "Oh, yeah, it's Mark. He's the bartender from the club where we hoo- met up at that one night." She raised her hand to wave, but he turned quickly and blended into the crowd. "Huh. Must not have seen us. Oh, well, now, should we go to the aviary next?" Jack nodded and they walked off together, Hotch's arm around Penelope's waist, his son's hand in his. For once, his sorrows had fled.


	3. Chapter 3

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them." Henry David Thoreau

Hotch and Penelope entered the bull pen at the same time that morning. It was risky, but they'd been running late and couldn't take the time to separate like they usually did after they had spent the night together. Though he didn't want to admit it, Hotch was quickly falling for Penelope. He watched her go up to her office, not noticing three pairs of eyes watching them.

He went up to his office, watching, out of the corner of his eye, JJ enter Pen's office. Setting his briefcase down next to his desk, he took a seat and began to look through the files on his desk. He had just begun to fill out one of the forms when someone knocked on his door. "Enter."

Rossi came in, closing the door behind him. He took a seat across the desk from Hotch. "So, just what are your plans with Kitten?" he asked bluntly.

"Excuse me, Dave?"

"You heard me. Or haven't you thought that far ahead yet? All I know is you had better not hurt our Kitten."

"Funny, I had this same conversation with JJ about a month ago. It's just, for the first time in months that I've been happy."

"She's good at that, Hotch, but she's falling in love with you. Even Morgan knows there's something different about her. Just, be careful, Aaron. The two of you deserve a bit of happiness. And don't worry. If it comes down to it, I'll work things out with Strauss."

"Thanks, Dave," he replied as the other man got up and left the office. He turned back to his paperwork, his mind dozens of feet away, thinking of Penelope. It worried him that the others might know about their relationship. He wasn't even certain that it was going to be going any further. Garcia hadn't talked to Morgan yet, he knew that because when he brought it up, she would come up with another delicious distraction. He knew they were great friends, but until he was certain what her intentions were with the both of them, he was hesitant to commit fully.

However, Rossi had said that she was falling in love with him. He was able to pick up on those things, which was why he turned to him when the friction in the team rose. Still, he had to know where her heart was.

By the end of the day, he had accomplished half of what he had set out to do with the day. Morgan was upset with him; the man was never very good at hiding his emotions. Standing up from the desk , he stretched and put his suit jacket back on. He picked up his briefcase and put the files he'd have to finish at home in it, knowing that the nanny would be waiting on him to get home so that she could leave to be with her family. Flipping off the lights, he exited his office and then looked down the hall. The light was still on in Penelope's office and he closed the distance quickly, not even bothering to knock before he entered.

"Are you ready to head home?" he asked before looking to see if she was alone. Unfortunately, Morgan was there, and he turned his head to look at Hotch.

"And why would she be coming home with you?" he asked a bit testily, frowning at him.

"Jack wants his Aunt Penny over for supper. Given all that he's been through, I think spending time with Penelope is the best thing for him," he replied in deliberately measured tones. "Do you have a problem with that?" Glancing over at Garcia, he saw that she was upset with something he had said, but he wasn't certain what.

Morgan stood up, still visibly upset. "I'm going home," he replied, not answering Hotch. "You just need to remember that I need my solace as well, Baby Girl." He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"And what was that?" Penelope asked angrily as she pulled Hotch around to face her.

"What?" he asked, still not certain about why she was so upset.

"You can't even admit you're in a relationship with me to my best friend. Am I that shameful that you have to use Jack as an excuse to bring me home?" She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Just, just get out Aaron. I can't deal with this right now."

"Pen-"

"I mean it, Hotch. Please."

His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he turned to walk out the door. As he turned the knob, he heard her begin to cry. And though every fiber in his heart cried out for him to turn around and take her in his arms, her words rang through his head, mocking him. Without a backwards glance, he left the room. Once he was in the hall, he leaned against her door and pulled out his cell phone.

"JJ here. What's up, Hotch?"

"Can you call Penny? I did something to upset her, and I'm not certain what. I just, I don't want her to be alone at the moment." He heard her sigh at the other end of the line, and could only imagine the look on her face.

"All right,Hotch. I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up, and he waited until he heard Penelope's cell ring before heading home.

His night was long and restless as he struggled with what Penny and Rossi had said. Was he still so hesitant about getting close to someone he couldn't admit what was happening between them? Could she really be falling in love with him? Was he falling in love with her? What if she got hurt like Haley? He couldn't put another loved one in a situation like that. It wouldn't be fair. He finally slipped into an uneasy sleep, his thoughts centered on Penelope.

He'd barely set foot in his office the next morning when JJ barged in. "What happened last night, Hotch? All she would say is that you and Morgan got into an argument over her. You know, if you're going to be in a relationship with her you have to accept Morgan as her friend. Especially now that –" She broke off her sentence and looked out the window into the bull pen.

"Now that what, JJ?"

"It's not my place to say if she hasn't told you yet. But, you had better do the right thing here."

Sudden comprehension lit his eyes up. "She's pregnant, isn't she?"

JJ sighed and nodded slowly. "Don't tell her I," she began, but Hotch was already bolting out of the office and walking briskly down to Garcia's. He quickly knocked on the door, not wanting a repeat of last night.

"Enter the Oracle of Wisdom if you dare, mortal," he heard from behind the door and he smiled. She seemed to be in a better mood today than when he had left her.

"Is it true?" he asked once he had shut the door, trying not to smile until he got confirmation.

She turned and frowned at him. "She told you? I told her not to tell anyone."

"She didn't. I guessed. So, is it true?"

"Yes, it's true – I'm knocked up by my boss. Not anything I was expecting either, especially since I'm not really in a relationship." She grabbed her purse out of her desk drawer. "I'm taking a sick day. I suddenly don't feel well." She brushed past him and left the room at a near run. Hotch stared after her, unable to find any words to stop her and bring her back to him.

JJ sauntered up to him as he stood at the railing. "Mucked it up, didn't ya?" He nodded. "Just give her a little time to cool off. And you'll need to talk to Strauss. It's time you made this official."

He nodded absently at JJ, then returned to his office. It was hard to concentrate on his work when he was concerned about Penny and their baby, but somehow he got through the day. He was the last one to leave the office, as usual, though there were still a few cars in the parking ramp when he went to go home.

'That's odd,' he thought as he opened his car door. 'What's Esther still doing here if Penelope took off this morning?' He walked around to the other side of the car and what he saw chilled him to the bone. There were obvious signs of a struggle and he tried to ignore the blood stain on the ground.

He pulled out his cell and rang Penelope's number. HE was sent straight to voice mail, and the bottom seemed to fall out of his stomach. Disconnecting the call, he dialed JJ. "Will you please try to get ahold of Penelope?" he asked, trying not to sound too desperate.

"Of course."

"And Jayje, if you can't reach her, call me right back."

"Of course, Sir," she replied and he could detect the sudden note of apprehension that had entered her voice. She hung up, and he paced back and forth waiting for something from either of them.

His phone rang several minutes later, and Hotch knew it was not good news. "Talk to me, JJ."

"She didn't answer her home phone, and her cell sent me straight to voice mail. Even if she's mad at you, she would still talk to me. What is going on here, Hotch?"

"Get back here as soon as you can. I'll fill you and the team in when you're all here. I only want to go through this once."

"That sounds serious, Sir."

"I am, it is. Three lives hang in the balance now."


	4. Chapter 4

"If you are one of those people who can't handle it anymore, know people are out there who really care, before you make that final decision. Talk to somebody." Walter Koening

JJ was the first to arrive back at the bull pen. "Hotch, what's wrong? You sounded so hopeless on the phone. Talk to me!"

"She's gone, JJ." He didn't look up from his hands, which were clenched in his lap. "Her car is still next to mine, and there's blood on the ground. If I lose them..." He broke off his thought and looked up at her. "I should have gone after her this morning."

She took a seat next to him and put a hand over his. "You still don't know if someone took her. Maybe she cut herself on something and had to go get stitches."

"No, it's more than that, I can feel it."

"So, tell me again why we were called back to the office. Is there a new case?" Morgan asked as he sat down next to JJ.

"I'll go over it when everyone is here," Hotch replied tonelessly, straightening his tie. A strained silence settled over the room as Reid and Prentiss entered together, followed closely by Rossi.

"All right, everyone's here. Now explain, Hotch."

He took a deep breath, looking at JJ. "I think Garcia's been kidnapped. Neither JJ or myself have been able to get ahold of her."

"Very funny, Hotch. She's most likely in her office, working on some new program."

"Actually, she went home this morning. She did not look well at all, and when I asked her what was wrong, she just said she was taking a sick day," Reid said, looking at Hotch. "So, what aren't you telling us?"

"I might as well show you." They followed him out into the parking garage and over to where their cars were. "As you can see, Esther is still here; she would never leave her car here if she were sick. Then, there's the cloth caught on the edge of the door – Penelope was wearing that dress this morning. And, finally, there's the blood spots on the ground. That worries me, incredibly."

"Why?" Prentiss asked.

"Because she's about six weeks pregnant," JJ replied. "She told Hotch and me this morning. Knowing Garcia, she'd do anything to protect the baby. Something must have gone wrong for the unsub to hurt her. So, what's are next move?"

"We're well within the first 48, so we need to gather as much evidence from here as we can. Morgan, I need you to dust for fingerprints, take samples of the blood down to the labs to have analyzed, everything. Reid, you locate the security tapes and see if you can find anything on them. Emily, you and JJ probably know Garcia the best – try and think of some places she might have been going to that would have attracted a kidnapper."

"And you, Aaron?" Rossi asked.

"I need to get ahold of Strauss. We need time off to find Penelope."

"I'll come with you. She seems to get along with me better than others."

Hotch nodded, and they all went back inside to work on their tasks. Rossi followed Hotch into his office, closing the door behind them. Aaron sank wearily into a chair, burying his face in his hands.

"She's carrying your child, isn't she? That's what has you so worried."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only because I know about the relationship. I take it you want to keep the paternity a secret for the moment?"

"At this point, it's for the best. Only you and JJ know about our relationship, and I'd rather Morgan work with us than be angry at me for the duration of the case." He looked up into Rossi's eyes. "Could you actually talk to Strauss? I'm afraid she'd be able to connect everything in a heartbeat given how I'm feeling at the moment."

"Certainly. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I had the nanny bring Jack over to Jessica's for the night, so there's nothing for me to go home to, is there?" He turned to stare out the window.

"So, what happened earlier to upset her?"

Hotch swung his head around to stare at Rossi. "Am I just some kind of open book these days?"

"Only to me," he replied, giving Hotch a pointed look.

"Morgan and I got in a small argument yesterday, and Penelope was upset with me. Then, JJ sprung the new on me this morning about the baby, and I don't know what happened. I went to ask her if it was true and she just went off on me."

"Did you smile when you asked her if it was true?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"How did you ask her to confirm her pregnancy? Was there any warmth in your voice? Did you give any indication at all to her that you want this child?"

"Of course I want this child! This is the best thing that's happened to me in so long…"

"And you were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Well, it has, and we'll be here to bring her back. We're not about to lose all three of you."

"Thank you, now if you'll excuse me," he got up and left the room. He looked down into the bull pen and saw JJ and Emily conferring and making notes. He made his way over to Penelope's office and quietly let himself in, taking in the still very much there presence of her. Going over to the couch, he laid down, hoping beyond hope that something would come over her computers to tell them where she was. He had to be there when the message came was his last thought before drifting off to sleep.

When he woke in the morning he noticed that someone had covered him with a blanket, and that JJ and Emily were sleeping in the room as well – JJ on the floor in front of the monitors, Emily in Penelope's chair and looking very uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and they woke up with a start.

Emily cracked her neck as she sat up in the chair. "We couldn't go home either, Sir. Not when she could get a message to us at any time." She smiled encouragingly. "And this means we're on time for the shift. Did you get ahold of Strauss yet?"

"Dave was going to handle that for me. I haven't heard how it's gone yet."

The office door opened, revealing Rossi, Reid, and Morgan. "I figured you three would be in here. We brought coffee with us. Any weird computer messages?" Rossie passed the coffee cups around and leaned against the desk.

"Nothing here. Any word from Strauss?"

"Yes, actually. We have one week to devote to this. After that, it goes to the local police to be dealt with. She actually seemed rather understanding."

"That's because Baby Girl is the best computer tech we've ever had. Of course she wants her back," Morgan said, a frown on his face.

"Well, we should move this to the conference room and plot out what we know so far," Hotch said as he moved towards the door.

"Should one of us stay here, just in case?" JJ asked, biting her lip. Hotch nodded at her and she tried to smile at him as her eyes filled with tears.

The rest of the team moved into the other room and Reid cleaned off the white board. Almost reluctantly, he affixed Penelope's picture to the corner of the board. "So, what does the timeline look like?" he asked.

"I spoke with her at 9:30 yesterday morning, confirming her pregnancy. She said that she wasn't feeling well and was going to take a sick day."

"She passed by me a few minutes later, looking ill," Reid said. "Did anyone see her later than that?" The rest of the team shook their heads. "So, that puts her last known sighting at 9:35 yesterday. Had she been fighting with anyone lately? Any strange changes in behavior?"

"Not that I know of," Morgan quickly replied. "Although, obviously she was seeing someone to end up pregnant."

Emily butted in. "Not necessarily. She could have used a donor – maybe she just decided it was time to have a child."

"But if she is seeing someone, maybe they had an argument that turned violent. We shouldn't rule that out," Morgan shot back, glaring at Prentiss. Rossi looked at Hotch, but he remained silent. Now was not the time. The focus needed to remain on Penelope.

Around noon, JJ joined them, carrying a bundle of papers. "The test results came back from the blood we found in the parking garage."

"And?"

"There's reason to be cautiously hopeful. The blood that was found was not Garcia's. It belongs to an unknown male. Therefore, I think it's safe to assume that while Penelope was able to injure her assailant, he didn't harm her. That seems to suggest that the unsub knows her and does not want to harm her. So, what does he want?"

"Traditionally, kidnappers want money. Is there anyone close to Garcia who has access to the amount of cash that he could ask for?" Reid asked, looking around the room. They all shook their heads.

"Dammit!" Morgan exclaimed. "Why does it feel like we're getting nowhere? There has to be something that we missed, some clue that's eluding us. No one just disappears from an FBI building without a trace!"

"Unfortunately, neither the fingerprints you found at the scene, nor the blood, was a match to anyone in the system. This unsub has either never been caught before stepping one toe out of line, or this is his first crime. If it is his first offense, most likely he'll make some mistakes that will lead to our finding him." Prentiss looked around the room, a small smile on her lips. "Don't worry. We'll find Penelope and make this bastard pay."

Despite her optimism, the rest of the day dragged on for Aaron and the rest of the team. There was nothing to do – no new clues had been found, despite Morgan combing over Esther for anything he might have missed, and no ransom letter had appeared. JJ and Emily had gone back to Penelope's office to await any message from her.

At the close of day, they all drifted into his office, looking a little lost. As he looked around at his team, he sensed their need to stay together. "So, supper at my house tonight?" he asked softly. They all relaxed a little and one by one they nodded.

"Just let me call Will and have him bring Henry by. Do you want him to swing by and pick Jack up as well?"

"Thank you, JJ. That would be wonderful," he replied. She stepped out into the hall, phone in hand. "Reid, you want to ride with me?"

"Sure," he answered, gathering his things and following Hotch out of the office. Once again, he could tell they were following him. It was reassuring to him that they could be so open to coming together like this. He'd once thought that they couldn't take much more, that they couldn't remain a family of sorts. This new crisis was proving him wrong once more.

As soon as everyone was at his home, Hotch realized that there wasn't a whole lot to eat besides hot dogs and macaroni for Jack. He and Henry would be okay with that, but it looked like it would be takeout for the adults. "So, we have the really good Chinese place, the really good Thai place, the really good pizza place, and the really good Korean place. Take your pick," he said as he handed around the menus. Everyone ordered and the food soon arrived. While the others sat down at the table, Hotch uncorked a few bottles of wine and got out glasses for all the adults.

Their mood had lightened somewhat by the time the meal was over, and after he and Will had put the boys to bed in Jack's room, they all went to the living room, each claiming their own spot on the couch and chairs. Hotch lit a fire in the fireplace and handed the remote to Morgan. "See if you can find something funny for us."

Morgan flipped through the channels, finally stopping on BBCA. They were showing an old Monty Python's Flying Circus episode, and the team all settled in to watch something more absurd than what they were going through.

"Do you think we should wake them?" he dimly heard the next morning as he slowly woke up.

"I think he's already waking up," he heard Emily reply as he opened his eyes. "See, I told you. Good morning, Sir. Reid and JJ went to get us some supplies for breakfast. The shower's free now, though I don't know how much hot water s left, sorry. Oh, and Jessica will be here in 45 minutes to take Jack to school."

Hotch sat up a bit straighter, and saw his son sleeping on his lap. Smiling down at him, Hotch gently shook him awake. As his son blurrily opened his eyes, he asked, "Dad, where's Aunt Penny? Why did you have a party without her?"

Aaron took a deep breath and pulled his son up so he was sitting on his lap. "Aunt Penny had to go on a trip unexpectedly. She'll be home soon. Now, you need to get ready for school." Jack nodded and slipped down, then ran upstairs. Aaron stood up himself and followed his son upstairs, going to his own room. He pulled out a suit for the day and then took a quick shower.

While he dressed, he could smell breakfast cooking. Instantly, he was reminded of the first time Penelope had cooked for him, and a wave of sorrow swept over him. Emily was right; he would make this bastard pay when they caught him. After straightening his tie, he opened the bathroom door and made his way downstairs. Jack was already at the table, eating a plate of pancakes drowning in syrup.

"His teacher is going to hate me," he said as he sat down. JJ handed him a plate and he dished out some eggs and bacon. Reid handed him a mug of coffee and he took a sip.

"You know, the studies are still inconclusive as to whether or not sugar makes children hyper," he said in reply as he filled up his own plate. When everyone was finished eating, he and Rossi filled the dishwasher while Morgan and JJ put away the leftovers. Right at eight, Jessica showed up to bring Jack to school, and the team left to get back to work.

The traffic that morning was worse than normal, and they walked in to the bull pen a little later than normal. "Hey, Hotch, there was a package delivered to the office for you this morning. I signed for it since you weren't here yet," one of the other office mates said as they all scattered to their desks.

"Thanks Margaret." He went up to his office and looked over the package. There was no return address on it, and he didn't recognize the handwriting on the label. He opened the door and called the team into his office. "Morgan, you have some experience with packages like this. Would you?"

"No problem, Hotch." He pulled on a pair of gloves and carefully peeled off the tape that sealed the box. Slowly, he opened the flaps and looked inside. "Oh my God," he said under his breath as he backed away from the package. Opening the door to the office, he called out, "Margaret, who delivered this?"

"The regular delivery guy. Why? Do I need to get anyone up here?"

"No, I was just hoping it would have been someone new," he responded. Hotch hadn't moved to look in the box, not wanting to see what it might contain. Morgan came back over and pulled out two objects – Penelope's glasses, the ones she'd been wearing the day she'd gone missing, and a CD. "I'll take these down to get analyzed, see if there's any new information we can get from it," he said as he handed the disc to Hotch. "Do not look at that until I get back. We should all look at it together." Hotch nodded and watched him leave.

"Let's go to Penelope's office to watch this. She has all the equipment we might need," Rossi said.

"That's a good idea," Hotch replied and they all made their way there. A few minutes later, Morgan joined them and Reid opened one of the computers' CD-ROM drives. A folder popped up, showing one file on the disc, and Reid clicked on it. The quality was grainy, but everyone could make out Penelope sitting on the ground, her hands tied behind her back. She was saying something, but the camera did not pick up her words. Suddenly, the camera zoomed in on her face, and everyone could see how terrified she looked before the room went black.

Over the blackness, a muffled voice could be heard beginning to speak. "By this time, I think you're beginning to miss your sweet little computer tech. Don't worry, I'll keep her safe, just as long as you do what I ask. First, a test of loyalty to her. Tomorrow evening, 9 p.m., I want you, Aaron, to come to the Delta Bridge Warehouse. Bring Derek Morgan with you, if you want, but no one else. I'll be watching you."  
The video ended and Aaron took a look at his team. JJ and Emily were openly crying, while Reid was already working on some sort of plan. "You with me, Morgan?" he asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Hell yes, I'm with you. But I wonder what's going to go down tomorrow? I mean, we didn't even get a ransom demand."

"There's no way of knowing," Rossi replied. "At least we'll be one step closer to finding Garcia."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hope is the pillar that holds up the world. Hope is the dream of a waking man." Pliny

The next day was spent nervously watching the clock. The team each took turns filling their coffee cups, and they all went to lunch together at a local café. An expectant silence had fallen over them as the minutes ticked by agonizingly slow.

The clock finally turned eight and Hotch and Morgan got ready for whatever was before them. Hotch put on a wire, just in case they should meet anyone there, though he highly doubted that would happen. Morgan paced back and forth, anticipation exuding from him.

"Are you ready yet, Hotch?"

"Yes. Let's get going." The entire team walked out to the parking garage and over to Hotch's car.

"You know, one of us could follow in an unmarked car, see if we notice anything while you're checking out the warehouse," Prentiss said, watching Hotch and Morgan get in the car.

"To risky, Em. We have to keep the baby in mind now as well. I'll call as soon as we get there and if we notice anything out of the ordinary," Morgan replied, shutting his door.

Hotch waved the remaining team back, and pulled out of the garage and onto the street. The drive was silent, neither man relishing the thought of going to get more information about how to get Garcia back without the expectation of her being there. Hopefully, Hotch thought, this time the unsub had messed up, left behind some clue as to his identity.

He killed the lights as he pulled into the parking lot of the warehouse. As he drove up to the door, he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. There were no other cars, save the security guard's, which was parked near the security shack. They got out of the vehicle and Morgan placed a quick call to JJ, letting the team know they were there.

The door was unlocked, just as they had requested, and Hotch entered first, with Morgan covering him. Carefully, he felt around for the light switch, which he knew was next to the door thanks to the schematics he had looked at earlier, and flipped it on. Light flooded the cavernous space and they moved forward cautiously, looking for the package.

"Look, Hotch, that's where he broke in," Morgan quietly said, pointing towards a broken window, "And there will be no video footage to find him on , the cameras don't record that portion of the building."

Hotch sighed, and they moved deeper into the building, looking for the package. Finally, in the recessed shadows of the very back of the warehouse, they found what they had come for. It was another non-descript box, bearing Aaron's name. "Open it, Morgan. We need to make certain it's not a trap before we bring it back to the office."

Morgan made short work of the tape once more and made certain there were no threats included with the new information. He paled at what he saw inside, and Hotch had to resist the very strong urge to push the other man out of the way to see what was in there.

Once they were under way, Hotch called the lab techs at Quantico and had them go process the scene on the off chance the unsub had left behind something that could be used to identify him by, something that would lead them to where Penelope was.

Though it was late, no one had wanted to leave before they saw what was in the box. When Hotch and Morgan came in, they crowded around them. "Did you open it at the scene?" Emily asked, noticing the torn tape.

"I felt it best to do so. You never know what might be in there," Hotch replied. "Now, let's move this into my office. Not everyone needs to see this," he said lowly, looking around at the agents who were still there despite the late hour.

Morgan set the box on Hotch's desk as Rossi shut the door behind them. "Hotch, since the box has your name on it, you'd better be the one to show us what's inside. I-it's creepy man."

Hotch nodded and slowly folded back the flaps. He looked inside the box and felt the blood drain from his face, just as Morgan's had back at the warehouse. Carefully, he pulled out one of Penelope's shoes. The heel was broken, and he laughed a little at the first thought that ran through his head – Penny was going to kill the unsub for ruining her favorite pair of shoes. The laugh quickly turned into a choked sob as he saw that her cell phone was laying beneath the shoe.

He handed the phone to JJ, who turned it on. "Hotch, you'd better take a look at this," she quietly said as she showed him the display screen. The text message there chilled him to the bone. 'Hope you enjoyed the latest present. Make sure you watch the videos, Aaron, especially if you want your Penny-love back.' He snatched the phone back and flipped it closed before shoving it in his pocket, ignoring the looks he hot from Morgan and Emily.

Looking once more in the box, he found the disc that would give them another clue to where Garcia was. "Well, should we go watch this?" he asked, holding up the disc. They nodded and moved to Garcia's office. Reid switched out the previous disc with the new one and the folder that popped up showed two files – one marked with Aaron's name.

"Let's watch the untitled one first, and then leave Hotch alone so he can watch video," Rossi said softly.

"But –"

"No buts, Reid. Obviously, the unsub wanted only Hotch to see the second file; it wouldn't have his name on it otherwise," JJ snapped. Reid gave her a wounded look. "Sorry, it's just we're all on edge right now."

He nodded and clicked on the untitled video file. It was a short clip, just under three minutes. It showed Penelope, curled up on the floor, fast asleep. Someone, most likely their unsub, had covered her with a blanket. As the camera zoomed in on her face, everyone was able to see that her face was with tears, her features pinched with worry even in sleep. The last shot they saw was her placing a protective arm around her stomach.

Hotch clenched his hands into fists, wanting to go through the screen and bring her home to him and Jack. He felt a warm hand cover one of his, and looked over at JJ who was trying to smile at him. Unclenching his hand, he took hers and squeezed gently.

"Okay, let's give Hotch some space to watch his video. We'll be in the conference room should you need us," JJ said as she led the rest of the team out.

He clicked on the video marked for him and was startled to see her face come up on the screen. "Aaron, I'm sorry. If I hadn't gotten angry at you, I wouldn't be putting all of you through this. Just, be careful, okay? I-I don't know what he'll do if something doesn't go according to plan." She began to cry softly, and he touched the computer screen, desperately wanting to be there, wiping those tears away. "But I have to be strong, for the baby. I don't know if you want us, but I want her, oh so much do I want her already. I know, I know, it's too soon to know for sure if it's a girl, but I can feel she is. I hope she has your eyes. And we'll have to give her Gideon's Green Dinosaur." She looked up at someone behind the camera. "I'm getting told to wrap it up. Aaron, I love you."

The screen went black, and Aaron heard someone clear their throat. He spun around and looked at Rossi. "I think it's time you told the team, Aaron."

He nodded and stood up. Together, they exited the room and made their way over to where the others were.

"Well, can we watch your video now?" Reid asked. JJ smacked him lightly on the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You know Spence. Hotch did you learn anything from the video that would be useful in the investigation?"

He shook his head slowly. "That's just it, I don't know. I wish there had been something obvious, some clue as to where she was." He took a deep breath. "But, there is something I need to tell all of you."

Hotch's next words were cut off by Penelope's cellphone going off. She hadn't changed the ringtone from 'Telephone' yet, even though she knew he couldn't stand the song. He pulled the phone out of his pocked and motioned to Reid. "Turn on the recorder. I'm going to put this on speaker phone." He accepted to call and hit the speaker phone button. "Hello?"

"Aaron? Oh, oh thank God you answered." At the sound of her voice, the entire world narrowed to just her.

"Of course I answered, Penny-love. Are you all right? He hasn't hurt you or the baby, has he?"

"No, I'm being treated well, even if I am kept tied up constantly. How's Jackers? He doesn't know anything is wrong, I hope."

"I told him you had to take a trip, and would see him as soon as you got back."

"Thank you. You know, being cooped up like this has given me a lot of time to think. And I really think I left my head and my heart on the dance floor that first night. I tried not to let my heart get involved, but-"

"Sometimes it just works out that way. Sometimes we find that which we didn't know we needed, something so dear to us we'd give up everything for one shining moment with them."

"Oh, babe, I promise you we'll have more than one shining moment together once you find me. I'm kinda hard to get rid of."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Penelope, I love you."

"I love you too, Aaron. Find me, please, before –" The connection went dead and he stared at the phone for several dazed moments before looking up at the team, who stared back at him.


	6. Chapter 6

"If you're going through Hell, keep going." Winston Churchill

There was an expectant silence in the conference room as the team continued to look at Hotch. "Well, that's what I was going to tell you about, before the phone rang."

Morgan glared at him. "Which part – that you were stepping out with my Baby Girl, or that you had knocked her up?"

"Morgan, you're out of line," Rossi began, only to be interrupted by Hotch.

"No, David, it's okay. I can fight my own battles." Turning to stare down Morgan, he said, "She's not your anything. You honestly thought you could string her heart along by sweet talking her, knowing she'd always be waiting for you after you got rid of the floozy du jour? She moved on from that, Morgan."

"To what? Loving you so you can get her killed?" he angrily responded as both Emily and JJ gasped in horror. The sudden realization of what he had said showed up in his face as he stammered out, "Oh God, Hotch, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that, I'm so sorry."

Aaron looked at him sadly. "You don't think that this is my worst nightmare come to life once more? I don't think I'm strong enough to lose another person to an unsub." He looked down at the ground, struggling to keep his composure.

"Don't worry, Hotch. We will find her and make our family whole once more," Emily said as she placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

"That's right. We're the best at what we do, and this creep is going to mess up at some point and give us a clue to his whereabouts and then, we nail him to the wall," JJ replied, smiling a somewhat cruel grin.

"Actually, guys, I think Garcia may have been trying to give us, or at least Hotch, a clue herself."

"What do you mean, Reid?"

"Well, when she was talking to you, it seemed, at one point, almost as if she were coding phrases in the hopes that you'd recognize them. The one that really stuck out was 'I left my head and my heart on the dance floor'. That phrase seems very familiar to me, but I don't know why." He stared at Garcia's cell still lying on the table. "That's it! Her ringtone! That phrase is from her ringtone. Heaven knows I've heard it enough, I should have had it memorized by now." He looked around the room. "Does anyone know what that song is?"

"Telephone," the rest of the team answered at once.

"Does this song have some significance to Garcia?" Rossi asked.

"It's her favorite song. I suppose, technically, it can be considered our song, since it was playing both nights we were together at clubs," Aaron replied.

"That could very well be another piece to the puzzle. Now, was there anything unusual about either time you heard this song in the club setting?"

"Not really. All the people at the first club really seem to love Penelope. She had that effect on others," he said as Reid wrote on the board. "But, now that I think about it, there was this one guy, Mark, from the club."

"What club?"

"The Rooster Brewster. Seems Penelope goes there a lot. Everyone knows her there."

"Man, how did she get you in there, Hotch?" Morgan asked. "That's so not your type of place."

"And that's why I went there. We had just gotten back from that case in Missouri, and all I wanted was to be alone. I never even thought Penny would go for a place like that either."

"So, this Mark. What does he do there?" Reid asked, trying to steer them back to the investigation.

"I assume he's a bartender. That's what he was doing the night I was there. He seemed nice enough, but then…" he trailed off, thinking about that afternoon at the zoo.

"Then what?" JJ probed.

"That weekend when we were at the zoo and playing pass the phone?" Morgan and she nodded. "Well, I saw him there, I pointed him out to Penelope; when she tried to greet him, he turned and walked away from us. I'm certain he saw us, as I caught his eye when I looked up from my phone."

"Are you sure it was this Mark?" Emily asked.

"Positive. Penny was the one who made the id. It was just really odd."

"So, we have Garcia quoting lyrics to this song that you heard when you were in the same club that creepy Mark works at. That can't be a coincidence," Reid said as he finished writing.

"I never said he was creepy, you're projecting, Reid. But I agree, it's no coincidence."

"Then what are we still sitting here for? Let's go over to the Rooster Brewster and find this punk, bring him in, and work him over until he tells us where Garcia is," Morgan said, standing up from the table, fists clenched.

Hotch held up his hand. "We can't go running over there and storm the place. If we scare him off, we might never find Penelope. Our goal is to bring her home safe and alive. Reid, you and Emily will come inside the club with me. As soon as we know anything, we'll contact you back here." He stepped out of the room, not bothering to see if they were following he, knowing they were.

The drive to the club was short. In the light of day, the place had a dingy look that was well masked by the neon and shadows of night. Getting out of the car, they approached the building. Reid peered in the windows and motioned to Hotch and Emily. "Guys, there's movement inside. Should we just knock on the door and see who answers?"

He nodded and Prentiss rapped quickly on the door. He could hear the movement coming closer to them and then the door opened, revealing a thin older man. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. This is Agent Prentiss and Dr Reid. May we come inside?"

The man stepped away from the door, beckoning them inside. "Have I done something wrong? Has anything happened to my family?" he asked nervously as he led them over to a table.

They took a seat and were given glasses of water by one of the workers. "You're not in any trouble at all, Mr?"

"Lowell, Edward Lowell."

"Mr Lowell, we're actually looking to speak with one of your employees. Is Mark here yet?" Hotch asked, looking around the room for the man.

"Mark Bartlett? He hasn't been in for the last few days, almost a week now, come to think of it. But when you find him, you can tell him he no longer has a job. Can't afford to keep someone who doesn't show up for their shifts."

Hotch raised an eyebrow and looked at Reid and Prentiss. "We're going to need to get his address from you, if you don't mind."

"Of course. May I ask what he's done?"

"He just needs to answer some questions in regards to the disappearance of a federal employee. It is important that we get ahold of him as soon as possible."

Mr Lowell nodded and got up. After being in the back for a few minutes, he came out with a small slip of paper in his hands. "Here you are. I hope you find what you're looking for from him."

"Thank you Mr Lowell." As they stood, Hotch pulled out his cell phone. "Morgan, we got the address for Mark. We'll meet you there. It's 7412 Crane Avenue in Annandale. Don't cause a panic, but get there as quickly as you can. He hasn't been to work in the last few days and it sounds like he didn't contact his boss about the sudden leave of absence. Wait for us, for me, before you go in, Morgan. See you there." He closed the phone and put it back in his pocket.

Prentiss entered the address into the GPS as Hotch started the car. They were under way in moments, and Hotch kept his foot on the gas, travelling above the speed limit to get to the house. Though he didn't want to say anything to Reid or Emily, he felt like this was not going to be the end. So far, Mark hadn't messed up like an untrained kidnapper would have. He'd obviously planned this much more carefully than they had accounted for. The only thing that Hotch still didn't understand was targeting Penny, and, to a certain extent, him. After all, he had been the only one to get a personal video.

Hotch was not surprised to see Morgan pulling up in front of the house as they turned onto the street. He parked behind Morgan and they joined the other half of the team on the lawn. He walked up the path to the front door and knocked insistently. "Mark Bartlett, FBI! Open up!" he yelled. No answer came and he stepped back from the door and nodded at Morgan, who promptly kicked the door open.

Drawing his weapon, he stepped inside and took the first room. Looking around, he saw no one there. "Clear!" he yelled before moving on to the next room. The small house was soon cleared, and there was no sign of their suspect. They met back up in the kitchen and gathered around the table. "Anyone notice anything that might help the case?"

"There's no computer here, so we can't look for any clues from that. When we get back to the office, I'll start running his name through different databases to see if anything turns up," Reid replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But it's going to take me some time without Garcia here to work her magic."

Hotch nodded and raked a hand through his hair. "Did anyone find any pictures of him?" he asked.

Rossi nodded. "I figured we would need one for the press conference, so I brought the newest looking photo I could find from his bedroom. Do you know which of these men Mark is?" He handed the photo over to Hotch.

Taking a look at the picture, Hotch pointed. "The one on the left. JJ, Rossi's right. Now that we have a name and a face, it's time we hold a press conference. I want you to show Penny's picture first and stress the pregnancy. The show Bartlett's photo. Say he's wanted for questioning in regards to her disappearance. I want him found, but I don't want him to panic." Pulling out his wallet, he handed JJ a photo of Penelope with Jack. "Use this photo of her. If he lets her watch the news, I want her to be able to see Jack."

JJ nodded and took the photo from him, slipping it in her pocket. "I'll get right in it, Sir."

"Then let's get back," he said. The team nodded and left the house. Hotch felt closer, and yet further away from, Penelope than ever before.


	7. Chapter 7

"In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing" Robert Ingersoll.

The press conference had gone much as he had expected. Though a lot of calls had come into the tip line JJ had set up, nothing had led them anywhere closer to where Penny was. Strauss had been pleased with their progress, though, and had extended their time by another week if they needed it; Hotch was grateful for that and didn't think to ask if there would be a cost for that particular boon.

When he got into work the next day, JJ came running up to him. "Hotch, something came in to the tip line half an hour ago that you need to hear." He followed her, and found the rest of the team standing around the phone. They all turned to look at him, looks of anger and sorrow on their faces.

"Well, play it for me," he demanded, worried by their expressions.

Reid pushed the play button, and Hotch heard a somewhat familiar voice begin to speak. "So, you found me. Good job, Boss Man, but as you found out, I didn't leave any clues for you to find there. By the by, I'll be sending the FBI a bill for my door. Agent Morgan should really work on his temper; it will get him into serious trouble one of these days. Anyway, your Penelope is doing fine, if getting a little stir crazy. I think she really misses Jack. That picture you chose to put on TV made her cry, and you are so good at that, aren't you, Aaron? So, I think we should cut to the chase here. I want money, and I know you have it, throwing around Benjamins like you did that night. Look for a courier to arrive sometime today with my demands. Fill them, and you'll get Penelope back. Don't, and well, I don't think I need to say what will happen. Your mind will do that for me." The recording stopped, and he had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down.

"The good news is, this is our chance to nail him," Rossi said, looking at Hotch. "Though we'll have to see just how much he's asking for."

"Doesn't it bother anyone else that he knows so much about what is going on?" Hotch said, looking around at his team. "I mean, he even knows about Morgan kicking the door in. How is he watching us without us noticing him?"

"He's learned how to blend in with anything, I suppose. I mean, he's just an average looking person, really, and if he isn't doing anything to attract notice, I certainly wouldn't remember seeing him on the street," Prentiss answered. "Look, at least we know he hasn't hurt Garcia yet. Since we know the ransom demand is coming in today, we should be thinking about getting a small tracking device ready to stick in with the money. It sounded like he wouldn't be bringing her with him to the drop-off anyway. We need to get a few steps ahead of him, and this would do it."

Rossi nodded in agreement. "Why don't you go about requisitioning one, then." Emily turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Hotch stared at the closed door, still trying to process what was going on. "Let's go to your office, Hotch, and wait there for the courier to arrive." He felt Rossi gently take his arm and lead him across the way. A quick glance back showed the team following them like ghosts. This was taking such a toll on them, he thought, but soon it would be over. He could feel it in his bones.

The next few hours were tense as they waited for the letter to arrive. Emily had returned with a tracking device and a canvas bag to use for the money. As he watched, she quickly hid the tracker in the seam of the bag. It was small enough so that unless you knew what to look for, you wouldn't be able to find it.

A sudden tapping on the office door caught all their attention, and as one, they looked at it. "Enter," Aaron said, unable to keep his voice from shaking.

The door opened, and Margaret stepped inside. "The letter came, Sir. I already signed for it." She handed over the thin envelope.

"Thank you, Margaret. But how…"

"I was the one who took the call, Sir. Believe me, we all want Garcia back," she said as she smiled a pained smile at them and exited the room.

Aaron looked at the envelope addressed to him. Slowly, he turned it over and broke the seal. Opening the flap, he pulled out a single sheet of paper. The writing was neat, matching the house they had searched in preciseness of layout. Clearing his throat, he began to read:

"Hotch, my demand is really quite small in comparison to how much Penelope and the baby are worth to you. I only need $750,000 and they'll be returned to you, safe and sound. The drop off will happen in the evening again. Nine o'clock worked so well last time, so shoot for then. I'll be waiting in the Baptist church parking lot on the corner of Federal and Monroe. Once I've verified the contents I've asked for are all there, I'll drop Garcia off at your house. If it sounds easy, well, that's because it should be. Don't do anything stupid at this late juncture. Oh, and since you probably won't be allowed to do the drop, I want that pretty brunette on your team to do it. I would have asked for JJ, but I'm getting rather tired of blondes. Once again, alone or with Morgan. Anyone else, and the deal is off. Have a nice day, Aaron. Hopefully, we'll both have what we want very soon." He looked at Emily, who was holding on to JJ. They were both openly crying, and Morgan was trying to keep his composure as well.

"Do you have that kind of money, Hotch?" Reid quietly asked, staring at the ground.

"Yes. I made good money as a prosecutor, plus the life insurance policy was just recently awarded to me. I couldn't take an early retirement with that much gone, but we'd survive."

"All right, we'll get the money together. And like Mark wrote, I do not want you anywhere near this. Take Jack out of school early and go somewhere, anywhere, but around here. Try to get your mind off of this. I promise, I will call the minute anything happens."

Hotch nodded and looked around the room at his team. Emily was quickly pulling herself together and JJ was on her phone, most likely with Will, from the sounds of it. "Morgan, are you?"

"Of course, and we'll be careful, I promise. No unnecessary heroics tonight, not with her so close to home."

"Thank you." He turned and left the room. He could feel everyone in the office turning away from staring at the door as he walked past. After he got in his car, he called Jack's school and asked for him to be pulled from his class. When he got to the school, he could see Jack in the office window, watching for him. Walking quickly, he entered the office and signed his son out.

They went back out to his car, and Hotch got him situated in the booster seat. "Where are we going, Daddy?" his son asked, looking up at him.

"It's such a nice day that I thought we'd go to the zoo. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Is Aunt Penny going to join us?"

Aaron buckled him in and then got in the driver's seat before answering. "Remember, Aunt Penny is on a trip, so she can't come with us today. She should be home tonight, though." He began the drive to the zoo, glancing back occasionally at his son. He was much too quiet for being told he was going to one of his favorite places. "Jackers, what's wrong?"

"Has Aunt Penny gone away like Mommy did?" he asked softly, staring out the window.

Aaron quickly responded. "No, why would you think that?"

"Because you seem sad, like after Mommy went away, and Aunt Penny hasn't called or written or anything. She wouldn't forget about me like that, would she?"

He sighed, trying to come up with an answer for his son. "Jack, Aunt Penny loves you, she could never forget about you. It's just her trip has kept her really busy, and she hasn't had much time to call anyone." He looked back and saw Jack still seeing starting out the window at the passing scenery. "How about this? As soon as I know that Aunt Penny is back, we'll go see her, no matter how late it is, all right?"

Jack looked at him and nodded. "Can I get something for her?"

"Of course. And while we're talking about Aunt Penny, how would you feel if she were to move in with is when she returns?"

Jack's face lit up with joy. "Really? Forever and ever?"

"If she'll have us for that long," he replied, smiling himself. He pulled in the zoo entrance and found a parking spot somewhat close to the entrance. "So, where should we start?" he asked as he took his son's hand.

"Dad, you know. The big cats!"

"Oh, that's right, the big cats." The day flew by quickly, and the sun had set when they exited the gift shop. Jack was carrying a large stuffed giraffe under one arm, and a smaller one in his other, while Hotch carried him.

As he buckled Jack in, he impulsively said, "Let's make one more stop before we go home, okay?" Jack nodded slightly, and Hotch could see that his son was more tired than he'd expected. "I'll be really quick, promise."

Thankfully, the lights were still on at the first jewelry store he saw, and he pulled into their parking lot. "We're here, buddy," he said as he gently shook his son awake. Helping him out of the car, he then picked him up and went inside.

"Can I help you?" a young woman asked as he approached one of the display cases.

"I'm looking for an engagement ring."

"Certainly. The diamonds are over here," she said, gesturing towards a case further in the store.

"No, no diamonds. Those aren't her style. We need to look at something a little more unorthodox. Nothing too gaudy or large, but unique, beautiful, like she is." He looked down into the case he was in front of. "What do you think of this one, Jack?" he asked, pointing out a rather large round emerald.

"No, Aunt Penny likes pink. Do you have any pink rings, ma'am?"

The sales girls took a look at Jack, about to answer him when sudden recognition dawned in her eyes. Aaron rushed to say something before she could say anything that would upset his son. "Yes, when she's back from her trip, I'm going to ask her to marry me. So, like my son asked, do you have any pink rings?"

She nodded and walked over to another case. "There are these Brazilian Garnets. It's a very dark pink. Do any of these look right for her?"

He looked at the tray she held out and was immediately drawn to one ring. "What do you think of these, Jack?"

"That one, Daddy, the heart."

Aaron smiled, Jack had just picked the one that he had found to be perfect for Penelope. "We'll take that one. Is it available in a size seven? I'd rather like to take it with me for tonight."

The sales girl smiled. "Let me check, I think I saw one when I took inventory last night. I'll be right back." She went into a back room, and Hotch looked up at the clock. It was a little after six, only three hours until the drop off. A few moments later, she returned, holding a small square box. "You're in luck, it was still there. I can ring you up over here," she said, leading him to the register. As she waited for his credit card to go through, she explained about the free ring sizing they offered and how to take care of the ring. When the transaction was finished, she put the ring box in a bag and handed it to him. "Thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful evening."

"You too," he replied, taking Jack's hand and leading him out to the car. "So, what do you think about having ice cream for supper?" he asked once they were under way.

Jack nodded, a smile seemingly permanently plastered to his face. "In front of the TV?"

"Of course." They were soon home, and Jack ran in to pick a movie to watch while Aaron made up two bowls of ice cream. He carried them out to where Jack was and handed his son the smaller of the two bowls. "So, what are we watching?"

"Up."

"Good choice." He sat on the couch next to Jack and pressed the play button on the remote. By the time the movie ended, Jack was fast asleep, leaving Aaron with an hour to wait before he heard anything.

Promptly at nine, his cell phone rang. "Yes, Dave?"

"Morgan and Prentiss are on their way right now. The tracking device is working perfectly. I'll call you once things change."

"Thank you," he replied and hung up the phone. His Penny-love was one step closer to being home.


	8. Chapter 8

"That which is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil." Friedrich Nietzsche

The hours passed by with an almost expected slowness. He tried to occupy himself with something, anything, but found himself returning to stare at his cell phone, willing it to ring. Finally, just before midnight, it did.

"Hotch, the SWAT team has the house surrounded. You need to get down here right away."

"Where's here?"

"His mother's house, actually, 8264 North Delaware. We're going in as soon as you get here."

"I'll be right there." He shut his phone and picked Jack up off the couch. He quickly carried him out to the car and got him buckled in without waking him. Then, he plugged the address into his GPS and began to drive.

He made it to the address in record time. As soon as he got out of the car, his team surrounded him. "Do we have any idea what's going on inside?" he asked.

"She's unharmed, we know that much. Bartlett was still counting the money when we pulled up to his mother's house. We'll be going inside in just a few minutes," Morgan replied.

"Daddy?"

"Just a second, Jack," he called. "I had to bring him with me. I didn't want to leave him alone at home, wondering where I went. He already thinks Penelope left like Haley did."

"I would have done the same," Rossi replied. "JJ, why don't you stay back here with them?" JJ looked ready to protest when Rossi added, "We can't all go in, it would be mass confusion. I only want to be looking out for one blonde, should anything go wrong." She nodded reluctantly and moved closer to Hotch.

"Daddy!" Jack's voice came once more from the car, more insistent this time.

"Go," he whispered to Rossi, then turned to get his son. JJ trailed behind him, turning back to watch the team like he did. "Jack, what's wrong?"

"I woke up and you weren't there! All I could see were the flashing lights, and, and, I want Aunt Penny! I want Mommy!" He began to cry and Aaron unbuckled him and picked him up, holding on tight.

"We'll have Aunt Penny back soon, I promise. My friends just went in to go get her. Do you want to give her the ring as soon as she gets to us?" Jack nodded against his shoulder. "All right, let's sit down then and wait." Carefully, he maneuvered them down to the ground and then pulled out the ring box.

"Is that an engagement ring?" JJ asked as she sat down next to them.

Hotch nodded and opened the box. "What do you think? Will she like it?"

She gasped. "Hotch, she'll love it! It's so perfect!"

He smiled and closed the box. Then, he turned his attention to the front door of the house. He flinched at the amount of noise that was being made, clenching his fists so as not to hit anything around him. "Does it always take this long when we do it?" he asked quietly.

"It seems longer when you're on the outside, waiting. Everything is going as it should." JJ touched her ear and hurriedly stood up. "Morgan's bringing her out now, Hotch."

He got to his feet and helped Jack stand up. "Watch the door," he told his son, holding on to his hand. The door opened and there she was, tired looking but beautiful all the same.

Jack wiggled out of his grasp and ran to Penelope. "Aunt Penny!" he cried as he wrapped his arms around her legs. She bent down and picked him up, hugging him close to her. Aaron began walking towards her, and quickly closed the distance between them.

Gently, he reached out and stroked her cheek, relishing the feel of her skin against his once more. Then, he was pulling them into his arms, holding her tight to him, feeling the sobs wracking her body.

"Excuse me, sir, we need to check out Ms Garcia, make certain that she's all right," an EMT said as he tapped Hotch on the shoulder. Reluctantly he let go of Penelope and followed them over to a waiting ambulance. He helped Penny sit on the back of the vehicle. As he watched, the EMT took all her vitals. "Everything looks fine, just keep an eye on her for the next forty-eight hours and if you notice anything out of the ordinary bring her in to the hospital."

Jack tugged on his coat sleeve. "The ring now, Daddy?" he whispered. Aaron nodded, and took out the box, handing it to his son. "Aunt Penny, we got this for you today," he said, holding out the box.

Penelope took it from him and opened it. "Oh, Aaron," she gasped. "Is this?"

"I can't live without you, Penny-love. Will you marry me?"

"Of course! I love you, Aaron!" She threw her arms around him, kissing him on the lips. He took the box from her hand and placed the ring on her finger. "Can we go home now? I need a shower, badly, and then a nice long sleep in your arms."

"Of course," he replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. "And you should probably know, I kind of promised Jack you'd move in with us once you got back from your 'trip'. Hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! I spend enough time at your place anyway. Have I told you I love you?"

"Twice now tonight," he replied as he buckled Jack back into his booster seat. He kissed Penelope on her forehead, closing the car door. Once they were under way, he took Penelope's hand in his. By the time he pulled into the driveway, Jack had fallen asleep again. "I'll put him to bed while you take a shower," he said, picking Jack up carefully. She nodded and disappeared inside while he headed up to Jack's room. After he'd tucked Jack in, he went to his, their, room and slipped into a pair of sweat pants. He turned down the covers and waited for her for a few minutes. When she didn't appear, he decided to go see if she was all right.

He opened the bathroom door, and saw the shower still running. Penelope was standing beneath the stream of water, and through the haze, he could she her shoulders shaking. Without a second thought, he skimmed his sweats off and entered the shower, not caring about the water that got on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, and she sunk back against him. With her clothes off, he could just begin to make out the gentle swell of their baby.

"So, you really think it's a girl?" he asked softy.

She nodded. "I just started to feel flutterings in my stomach. It's so weird, Aaron."

"When Haley was pregnant with Jack that was the same thing she said. I always wanted another child, you know, but things just always seemed to get in the way." He reached around to turn off the water. Helping her out of the shower, he gently toweled her off, then let her get dressed in her pajamas while he dried off and put his sweats back on. "I love you, Penelope, and our child. We'll make this work, no matter what."

As they entered the bedroom, she suddenly turned to him. "Why?"

"Why what, Penny-love?"

"Why did Morgan bring me out of that house? Where were you? I wanted it to be you."

He sighed, crawling into bed. "Rossi wouldn't let me go in. I wanted to be in there more than anything in the world, but he must have realized that if I got my hands on Bartlett, I wouldn't have been able to control myself. I'm sorry if that hurt you."

She got in bed and snuggled up close to him. "Oh. You know, that's one of the reasons I love you. You're my knight in shining armor. So willing to do whatever it takes to protect those you love. How did I ever get to be so lucky as to get you in my life?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Now, get to sleep, you need a good night's rest after everything you've been through." He kissed the top of her head, then flipped the bedside lamp off.

A few hours later, he woke to her screaming. "Penelope, wake up!" He gently shook her, and she sat up crying. Turning towards him, she buried her face in his neck, clinging to him. "Shh, it's all right. I'm here; nothing can hurt you right now. Was it a nightmare?" She nodded, and he kissed her forehead gently. "Will you tell me about it?"

She drew a shuddery breath, trying to calm herself. "It was awful. I dreamt that you had tried to rescue me, and he ended up shooting you. You d-died in my arms. There was so much blood everywhere, I couldn't stop it. I was helpless and you were gone."

He squeezed her close to him. "But I'm right here. Nothing happened to me." He took her hand and placed it on his neck. "See, there's my pulse, beating for you. Try to get back to sleep. I'll stay awake until you do."

She sunk back down on the bed, facing him, her head on his chest. As he watched, her breathing evened out, and her face relaxed. He fell back asleep, a contented smile on his lips.

"Daddy, Daddy! There's someone at the door!" Aaron opened one eye and saw Jack standing over him. "Daddy, come on, someone's knocking!" Jack pulled on his arm and he reluctantly sat up. Looking over, he saw Penelope was still sleeping soundly. He slipped out of bed and pulled out a t-shirt, putting it on as he walked down the stairs. Opening the door, he saw the team standing on the stoop. "Come in," he said, stepping back from the door.

"We still have a free day before Strauss wants us back in the office," JJ said, smiling. "So, we thought we'd spend the morning with you. Here's your newspaper." She handed it over to him, then moved on into the house with the rest of the team.

He looked at the front page, and groaned. "Did you guys look at this?"

"No, why?" Rossi asked, and Hotch handed the paper over. "Oh, well, you were going to have to tell Strauss sometime."

"Tell Strauss what?" Penelope asked, stepping into the room. Hotch moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Your rescue made the front page. So did a picture of us. Not that that's a bad thing, per se, I just wish I had been able to talk to her before something like this happened. She's not going to react well now."

"Like she would have reacted well if our picture hadn't made the front page. But, it's a good picture of us," she replied. "So, everyone's here for breakfast, I assume. What can I get for everyone?"

"I don't think so, Baby Girl. We'll make it for you guys," Morgan said, smiling, steering them out into the living room.

As Hotch looked on, Penelope whispered something in Morgan's ear, then hugged him tightly. He looked into Hotch's eyes and said, "I'm beginning to see what I let slip through my fingers, but I'm glad you've both found the happiness you deserve. I have to get in the kitchen before they think I'm trying to get out of helping them." He let Penelope go and she sat next to Aaron on the sofa.

Grabbing his hand, she placed it on her stomach. Absently, he rubbed the gentle swell, smiling slightly. "Do you think I'll make a good mother?" she suddenly asked.

"The best. You're wonderful with Jack. I hope she's like you, I really do," he said, pulling her close to him. "A sweet little girl with blonde hair, a bright smile,"

"And eyes as kind as yours," she interrupted, grinning up at him.

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "As long as she's like you, she'll be perfect," he whispered.

"That's sweet," she whispered back, moving to straddle him on the couch, placing her hands on either side of his shoulders to brace herself. "Now, kiss me proper, Boss Man." She giggled as he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to him, capturing her lips with his.

"Break it up, you two. Breakfast is ready." Aaron met JJ's look and shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose I should be grateful that the two of you are still dressed."

Penelope laughed and climbed off him, pulling him up to stand. He let her lead him out to the dining room and as he looked around at their family, he realized that for the first time in months, he was truly content, even if a more difficult hurdle awaited them at work.


	9. Chapter 9

"Love has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." Antione de Saint-Exupery

The team walked in together the next morning. Somehow, they had all arrived at work at the same time, and it seemed natural to walk in as a team. The noise in the bull pen dimmed as they all got a look at Garcia. She blushed and instinctively drew closer to Aaron, who gripped her hand tightly. "Everyone's relieved to see you, alive and well," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," she replied. "It's just a little weird to be the center of attention again." She looked up and pointed. Hotch saw Strauss standing in front of his office door, and he took a deep breath.

"Guess it's now or never," he muttered, automatically moving towards what could very likely be impending doom.

"Agent Hotchner, Ms Garcia, a moment of your time, if you please." Her voice silenced any lingering chatter in the room, and all eyes swung to focus on them. Hotch squared his shoulders and guided Penelope over to the stairs. "Agent Rossi, would you join us as well?" she asked as they began to climb the stairs.

Strauss opened his office door, gesturing for them to enter. Once everyone was gathered, she took a seat behind his desk and coolly assessed all of them. "When, exactly, were you planning on informing me of this relationship? When the child made its appearance?"

"Well, you see, Ma'am, it, I..."

"What Penelope is trying to say is we were going to tell you when she had been rescued. The press beat us to the punch this time," Aaron smoothly replied, taking Penny's hand in his. "I had just found out about the child the morning she was abducted. We didn't realize it would become this serious this quickly. I'll step down, if you'd like."

"Aaron, no! I'm not as important to the team as you are. What would they do without their fearless leader?" She turned to him, grabbing his other hand.

"Then who would work their magic with the computers? No, if we're talking terms of importance, what you do for the team is much more important than what I do out on the streets. Who else has your level of expertise?"

"So, Agent Rossi, we come to the heart of the problem. How do we solve a problem like this?"

"Keep the family together. Garcia rarely goes out in the field with us, and she's unlikely to do so anyway for the next seven months or so. Besides, times are changing, Erin. We must change with them, or risk becoming so inflexible that we can never change."

Strauss looked at them. "Do you think you can conduct yourselves professionally at work? Can you keep the squabbles and bickering at home?"

"I think we've been doing that rather well these last six weeks, and I don't see it becoming an issue in the future, Ma'am," Hotch replied evenly, trying to keep himself in control, to not give Strauss a reason to separate them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Penelope nod, biting her lip nervously.

"Then, at this time, I'll keep your team together. Should either of you step out of line, even once, I won't hesitate to transfer either of you to a different position." She took a deep breath, smiling slightly. "Now, Penelope, when is the child due?"

"Um, well, I haven't been to the doctor yet, but counting on my fingers tells me the middle of June, most likely," she stammered.

"You need to get in touch with an OB. Here," she said as she handed Penelope a business card. "She's the best one in the area." Strauss stood and they followed suit, exiting the office with her. All eyes were still watching them, until Strauss took the floor, then everyone tried to look busy.

"Guys, we have a new case waiting for our attention," JJ said, coming up to them.

Once they were settled for the night, Aaron called home. "Did the rest of your day go well?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Aaron, did you find it odd at all how she reacted? I was not expecting that at all. And, I did some checking on this OB she suggested – apparently her daughter went there, as well."

"So, are you going to use her, then?"

"Already made the first appointment. Next Monday at four. She really is the best in the area, how could I not? Listen, there's a little guy here who wants to say good night to his daddy."

"Put him on. Hey buddy, did you behave for Aunt Penny?"

"Of course I did, Daddy. I love Aunt Penny. Since you're marrying her, do you think she'd mind if I called her Mommy? I know she's not my real mommy, but…"

"She'd love that Jack, I'm sure. Now, it's getting late, so you get up to bed, all right?"

"Okay. G'night, Daddy."

"Good night, son. I'll see you soon." He heard Penelope take the phone back and smiled as he listened to her try to get ahold of her emotions.

"Aaron, I'm not trying to take Haley's place, you know that, right?"

"I know, Penny-love. But Jack needs someone like you in his life. You've stepped into the role of mother quite well, he adores you, and I couldn't ask for more. Have sweet dreams tonight."

"Without you here, that's all I'll have. I love you, and be careful tomorrow."

"I will." He hung up the phone and flopped on his back. Hopefully this case wouldn't take too long. He missed his family already.

"So, this is the big day, huh?" JJ asked them as Aaron helped Penelope with her jacket.

"Yeah, we're going to confirm she's a girl," Penelope replied, placing a hand on her bump. "I've wanted to start buying clothes for her since my first appointment, but Mr Cautious here wants to make sure I'm right before we spend good money."

"I just know that you're going to make her a little fashionista, so I've been trying to save some money up. I promise, after this we can go shopping." Aaron placed a hand on the small of her back. "If you'll excuse us, we really should get going."

As they left the bull pen, they brushed past Strauss, who looked very intent to get somewhere. "Why do you think she's headed in there?" Penelope asked.

"I've found it better not to ask questions when it comes to –"

"Aaron, feel!" Penelope interrupted, dragging his hand to her stomach. "She's moving!" She looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes, a gigantic smile on her face.

He leaned down and gently kissed her, then opened the door of his car. "We don't want to be late," he said, smiling in response to the feel of his child. This pregnancy was so different from Haley's. Penny relished in everything new, every change to her body. There was none of the impatience that Haley had shown with having to slow down as the baby grew bigger.

Aaron signed her in at the office, while she took a seat near the window. He joined her moments later and was not surprised when she grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers with his. She was much more openly affectionate than he could let himself be, though he had found himself responding more freely to her these days, initiating some of the embraces, the touches he knew she craved.

"Penelope Garcia?" the nurse called, and Aaron helped her to stand up. They followed him back into one of the exam rooms where she filled in all the important vitals. "Dr Merkle will be in to see you in just a moment. If you'll change into this gown, please," he said, handing it to Aaron before he left the room.

Penelope changed as quickly as she could, and he helped her back onto the exam table. As soon as she was settled, Dr Merkle entered, her red hair in a long braid down her back. A technician followed after her with the ultrasound machine. "So, Penelope, Aaron, ready to find out what you're having?"

"Don't you mean am I ready to hear you say I'm having a girl?" she retorted, a grin on her face.

"We'll see if your intuition's right. You have a fifty-fifty chance, after all." After covering Penelope's legs with a blanket, she lifted the gown over the gentle rise of her belly and spread gel over it. He felt Penny shiver slightly in his arms, remembering how Haley had squeaked in surprise the first time she'd had the gel put on her. Dr Merkle grabbed the wand from the tech and rolled it over her stomach. She pointed out all the features of the baby, showing them how everything appeared on track and normal. "And, you'll be having a girl. Very good call, Penelope."

She smacked Aaron lightly on the chest. "See, you should listen to me, the Oracle of All Knowing."

He smiled at the doctor. "So, the due date is still the middle of June?"

"Based on the development so far, I'd say so," she replied as she cleaned Penelope's stomach off. "Here, you can show your family and friends these," she said as she handed them a disc the tech had handed her. "Stop by the front desk and make your next appointment before you leave. I'll see you soon."

After they'd left the room, Aaron helped Penny get dressed. "So, where are we off to first?"

"Ooh, this cute little baby boutique that I saw around here the other day. You don't mind shopping with me? I know you don't care for it too much."

"I'll survive. So, now we need to start thinking about names," he replied as they walked out to the front desk. After setting up her next appointment, they went to the car. "And you need to call JJ, tell her how you were right after all."

"Thanks for reminding me," she said as she pulled out her phone. "Hey, JJ, it's me. Yeah, we just got out. I was right, of course. Baby Girl Hotchner will be here by the middle of June. Of course you can tell the rest of the team. Oh, and remind Reid he owes me $20. He should know by now to trust my intuition. See you tomorrow."

"You made a bet with Reid?"

"I know, a sucker's bet, but he insisted I'd be wrong, said no one could know that soon. Sometimes, it's not all hard fact and evidence, sometimes you have to listen to that small voice inside of you."

He pulled into a parking spot near the entrance of the shop and helped her out. Once they were inside, she handed him a basket, and he followed her as she delved into the clothes like they were an important piece of data she was trying to retrieve. "Oh," she gasped, holding out a delicate lavender lace dress.

"That'll be perfect for her christening," he said

"This will be perfect for her dedication," Penny said at the same time. "Wait a second, christening?"

"Ostensibly, the family is Catholic. They'll want her christened."

"Oh, well, I'm Methodist, we don't christen, we dedicate. Is that going to be an issue?" She looked up at him, frowning a bit.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't think so, at least to me. We could do both, just to make my family happy, if you wouldn't mind. And, I'd like Rossi to be her godfather, if that's all right."

She nodded. "And JJ will be her godmother, yes?"

"Of course." They spent another hour looking through the store, racking up a large bill when they were through. Once they were home, she put all the new things in the nursery and he hung up the outfits she handed him. After a bit, she stretched, yawning and rubbing her belly.

"I think I'm going to turn in. I can't seem to keep my eyes open." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and left him to finish putting away the rest of the clothing. After he'd finished, he went downstairs and made supper for Jack and himself.

Aaron put Jack to bed early as well, despite his protestations that he wasn't tired yet. "Well, I am, Jack, so off to bed you go," he replied as he changed Jack into pajamas and then read him The Giving Tree. He was soon out like a light, and Aaron turned on his nightlight before switching off the overhead one. Going into their bedroom, he found the lights on, and Penelope fast asleep, the covers strewn about her, one arm flung above her head.

Quietly, he changed into a pair of sweat pants and then climbed into bed. Carefully, he spooned up close to her, and she melted into him. Still fast asleep, she pulled his arm over her stomach, bringing him closer to her. Smiling, he breathed in her scent and fell asleep.

"And I want the bridesmaids in burgundy. Definitely tea-length, JJ. Yes, of course a Fifties vibe. Would you expect anything else? Oh, Aaron's home, I'll talk to you later. And make sure you message me any photos of dresses you think would work." She hung up the phone and smiled up at him. "I'm still in bed, and I haven't done anything more strenuous than call JJ about details for the wedding. It's so wonderful that she's agreed to help me."

"And your due date is tomorrow," he said as he kissed her forehead. "The wedding's not until December, there will be plenty of time to plan after she's here. Now, can I get you anything?"

"The heating pad would be nice. My back aches."  
"Maybe you should have been lying down then."

"Hush and get me my sweet relief, Sugar," she replied, trying to glare at him.

He moved over to the dresser and picked up the heating pad. After plugging it in and helping situate it behind her back, he went to find Jack. He was quietly playing in the living room, a movie on the television.

"So, who put the video on for you?"

"Mama Penny. We had macaroni and cheese for lunch, too! When's my sister going to be here?"

"Soon, Jack. Now, remember, if we have to go to the hospital, Aunt JJ will come stay with you. Be good for her, okay?"

"Of course, Daddy. After all, I'm the big brother now. I have to be a good sample for Mia."

"I think you mean example, Jack." Aaron ruffled his son's hair gently. "I'm going to get supper started. Come get me if you need anything, okay? Let Mama Penny rest." He went into the kitchen and rifled through the freezer. They'd been living off of frozen meals for the last two weeks, not really sure when Penelope would have to go to the hospital. Pausing in his perusal, he noticed that everything had been rearranged according to size. "Penelope, what am I going to do with you," he said under his breath.

"Love me, of course. Listen, Boss Man, JJ's on her way. It's time we were off to the hospital," she replied. He turned and saw her bag in her hand. "At least she waited until you were home to make her appearance."

"Are you sure?"

"As I can be. What I thought were cramps might just be contractions, and they're coming closer together. When I talked to JJ, she said that was sort of how her labor started, too. She should be here in about ten minutes."

"We should go tell Jack, then. He's already asked when she'd get her today. He'll be so excited." He took her arm, letting her lean on him as they slowly made their way into the living room. He helped her get settled on the couch, and Jack clambered up beside her, snuggling in close as Penelope wrapped an arm around him.

"You know, Aunt JJ will be here soon with Will and Henry. We have to go to the hospital and bring your sister into the world. Tomorrow, you can come see us, okay?" Penny gently said.

"Okay. Are you going to come home, too?"

"Oh, Jackers, why would you think I wouldn't come home to you?"

"Mommy never came home the last time she went away."

"Honey, I'm perfectly healthy, your sister is perfectly healthy, and we'll all come home to you – I promise. But, I've packed my laptop in my bag and Aunt JJ knows how to work the camera on the computer, so we can talk for a little bit before I deliver. Does that sound all right to you?" Jack nodded and she hugged him to her.

A sharp knocking came at the front door. Aaron left them and went to answer. JJ was standing there, holding Henry, while Will was carrying some takeout bags. "We came as soon as we could. Now go, take her to the hospital. We'll swing by with Jack tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Listen, Penelope wants you to run the webcam for a bit, calm Jack's nerves a bit about coming home to him, if you wouldn't mind."

"That'd be fine."

"Thanks so much. Penelope and I couldn't have done this without you and Rossi." He went back into the living room and helped Penny stand up. Then he hugged Jack close. "See you tomorrow, okay?"

Jack nodded and followed them into the foyer, dragging Penelope's bag behind him. As Aaron opened the door to the garage, he watched his son hug Penelope tightly, trying not to cry. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Jack. And you'll see me in just a little bit over the computer, okay?" She let go of him and picked up her bag, going out to the car. Aaron helped her into the car then put her bag in the back seat.

As they pulled out of the driveway, Jack ran out onto the porch and waved to them as he drove down the street. Soon, they were at the hospital and Aaron checked her in with no problems. Once up on the delivery floor, they got a birthing room and he helped her get changed and settled in.

"Hey, I heard you had come in. So she's decided to make her appearance, and right on time." Dr Merkle came in and checked Penelope's vitals. "Well, it looks like everything is progressing as it should. I'll be back in a little bit to check on you again."

Penelope smiled and pulled out her laptop as soon as the doctor was gone. "Can you find a plug for my battery pack, Aaron? I think we'll be using this a lot tonight, and I don't want to lose the connection."

He took the cord from her and plugged it in one of the outlets. Then he settled on the bed next to her and watched as she connected to their home computer. Soon, he was looking into their computer room, though no one was there just yet. Then another screen pinged up.

"Hey, Baby Girl! JJ told me you guys were headed in. Any word on when the little princess will be making her appearance in the world?"

"Hours yet, Sugar. I'll be on here until things get too intense," she replied.

"Well, the gang is meeting here in a few minutes. We expect updates on our princess."

"Of course, Derek." She minimized his window and brought the home window up to full screen. They could hear voices getting closer to the computer, and then saw JJ help Jack sit in front of the computer. "Hey, baby. Is everything going okay?"

"Yeah, we've been watching videos while we ate. Aunt JJ is funny, she can do all the voices perfectly!"

"That's good to hear." They talked for a long time, sometimes to JJ, as well, until it got close to his bedtime. "Now, it's getting close to eight o'clock, so you need to be getting to bed soon, all right? But, we'll stay connected until then." They said their good nights, and then JJ took Jack up to bed.

Penelope closed the window and was about to shut down the laptop when she was pinged again. Bringing up the window that was blinking, they saw the rest of the team smiling at them. "Hey, Baby Girl, we just wanted to give you guys our best wishes before we head out to the bar. Be sure to call us as soon as she's here."

"Will do, Hot Stuff." She signed off and handed the laptop to Aaron. "You know, they're going to want pictures of everything, right? Grab the camera from the bag when you put the laptop away."

"So that's why this thing was so heavy – you brought more technology than clothes. You did remember to pack an outfit for the baby?"

"Of course. I couldn't decide which one, so I think I ended up bringing two or three; depending on how much hair she has and what color it is will determine which one I want to put her in." He gave her one of his looks. "What? You know I'm going to turn her into a little clothes horse, and I want to start her out right."

"I suppose," he replied, taking her hand in his.

The hours passed by, at first quickly, then seeming to drag on and on as she labored to bring their child into the world. Finally, shortly after three in the morning, Amelia Jane Hotchner was born, entering the world with a fierce cry. Dr Merkle and the nursing staff quickly cleaned her off and handed her to Penelope.

"She's so perfect," Penny breathed, gently cradling their daughter. "And she has your nose!"

"Yes, well, she looks more like you, I think. But where did the red hair come from?"

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. "No clue. Dr Merkle, before you leave, will you take a picture with us?"

"Certainly." One of the nurses took the camera from Aaron and snapped a few shots of them before handing the camera back. They then helped Penelope get cleaned up and changed while Aaron held their daughter.

"You're never going to want for anything, Princess. We'll always take care of you," he whispered softly to her, smiling down at her. Once everyone was settled back in the room, Aaron handed Amelia to Penelope. "Who should we call first?"

"Morgan. I don't want to wake Jack or Henry, what with it being so late." She yawned and handed Amelia to Aaron, who placed her in the bassinet, covering her with the light blanket the hospital had left there. When he turned back to look at Penelope, she was fast asleep, a beautiful smile on her face.

He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed Morgan. "Yeah, Morgan, it's okay to tell everyone. Amelia Jane's here and right on time, too. Dr Merkle out the date at June 17th, and here she is. And she-she's perfect. If you want to come see us, try about eleven. That's when JJ's bringing Jack by, so the whole family will meet the latest addition together. See you then." Aaron shut the phone off and then climbed into the recliner and fell quickly asleep, overwhelmed in happiness.


	10. Chapter 10

"Out in the highways and byways of life, many are weary and sad. Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, making the sorrowing glad." Ira B Wilson

Aaron adjusted his tie one last time, and then slipped into his morning jacket. He stepped out into the main room of the area, where Reid and Morgan were already dressed and waiting.

"So, today's the big day. Do you mind if we still call her Garcia? Having two Hotch's around would get pretty confusing," Morgan said.

"If she doesn't mind, I don't." He fiddled with his tie once more.

"Are you nervous?"

"What? No, it's just the collar on this shirt," he replied, looking at his watch. "I had better get up to the sanctuary. We're scheduled to begin in ten minutes." He exited the room and slipped up the back stairs to the sanctuary. Their organist was playing 'Canon in D' as he took a seat next to the minister. Once the song had finished, she paused and nodded to the minister. Aaron knew this was their cue, and he followed the minister to the middle of the stage. As soon as they were in place, a brass quintet stood up near the back, and the organist and brass players began to play a rendition of 'Jacuchzet, frohlocket!' by Bach.

First down the aisle were Emily and Reid. Following them were JJ and Morgan; then Jack came carefully carrying the pillow that held their rings. Finally, Dave and Penelope came into view. He sucked in a quick breath at the sight of her in her wedding gown. Though it was entirely traditional, there were still touches of her personal style – like the multihued roses that covered the skirt.

After the longest few minutes of his life, she was up front with him, Rossi between them. As the music came to a close, the minister asked, "Who gives this couple to each other?"

As one, their team responded, "We do."

Rossi placed Penelope's hand in Aaron's while JJ took the bouquet from her. "We gather here today to join Aaron Hotchner and Penelope Garcia in marriage. These two people have decided to cast their fates in with each other, to no longer face this world alone. It is a huge undertaking, especially in this day and age. As we begin this ceremony, the bride and groom have asked our soloist to sing 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'."

Once she had finished singing, Spencer approached the pulpit that stood off center of the dais and addressed the guests. "I've been asked to prepare a reading, and even though I know how cliché it is, I feel this suits Hotch and Penelope quite well. From First Corinthians 13 – 'If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit. Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." He smiled at them and rejoined Morgan and Rossi.

The wedding moved on smoothly and the minister motioned for Jack to join them on the dais. Aaron took his son's hand and led him over to a pedestal that contained an empty glass bowl. Then, the trio were handed colored sands, a different color for each. "Since their youngest child is too small to pour her own sand, Aaron and Penelope would like Emily to join them in the ceremony in her stead." Emily joined them in the dais and accepted the jar of lilac sand she was offered. "This recent tradition is a great way to symbolize the blending of two families into one." He nodded at them, and they began to fill the bowl as the organist played 'Love Will Be Our Home'. Emily helped Jack back to his seat next to Jessica and then she stood next to JJ once more.

"Now, I'll read the vows. Both Penelope and Aaron have personalized them to fit their situations. Aaron, do you accept Penelope to be your wife through sickness and health, good times and bad, hard drive crashes and new coding languages, love and laughter, tears and sorrow, to be by her side from now until the end?"

"I do," he steadily replied, gazing into Penelope's eyes.

"And Penelope, do you accept Aaron to be your husband through sickness and health, bad cases and easy, bomb scares, shootings, long periods spent only speaking over the phone or computer, through love and laughter, tears and sorrow, to be by his side from now until the end?"

"I do," she whispered, wiping her eyes clear of tears.

"May I have the rings, please?" Jack stood and walked over to the dais, holding up the pillow. The minister took the rings and placed them on his Bible. Turning to Aaron, he held out the Bible and Aaron took Penelope's ring. "Repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," he said, slipping the ring on her finger.

He turned to Penelope and she took the ring off the Bible. "With this ring, I thee wed."

A bit shakily, she replied, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"By the power vested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your wife, Aaron." Aaron bent down and gently kissed Penelope's upturned face.

The organist began playing 'The Prince of Denmark's March' as Penelope and Aaron turned to face their guests. They exited the sanctuary arm in arm and stood near the entrance to greet their guests. Once the last guest went through the line, Penelope and he went back up front with the bridal party to take pictures. Finally, that was done, and they all went outside to get in their limo.

"So, you made it through the ceremony," Emily said, smiling at them.

"And no snafus, either. Well, there's still the reception to get through, I suppose, but so far we've,"

"Penny, you're babbling," Aaron interrupted, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. "The reception will go perfectly." She nodded at him and leaned back against his shoulder.

"Where's your honeymoon again?" JJ asked.

"Allende del Sol."

"Haven't we been there before?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, you guys were looking into that serial killer there. Aside from that, though, the place looked like a great place to visit. Of course, Jack put in a vote for Disney World, but that'll be in a year or two, when Amelia can enjoy it as well," Penelope said. "Though, by that time, we could have another little one, but we'll have to see."

By the time they arrived at their venue, all the guests were there and waiting. Penelope and Aaron let the rest of the team enter before they came in. The DJ saw them and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr and Mrs Hotchner have arrived." Aaron led his wife over to the head table and helped her get situated and then took his seat next to her. He caught the wicked gleam in Morgan's eye and shook his head a little too late to stop him from knocking his spoon against his glass. Soon, everyone had joined in the ruckus and he turned to Penny and kissed her sweetly.

Throughout their dinner, they kissed at least thirty time, thanks to their team. Then came the cake cutting. "Please, Boss Man, no mashing it in my face. I do not want to ruin my makeup," Penny whispered as they positioned their hands on the knife for the photographer.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Penny-love," he replied, smiling at her. Then, he placed the slice of cake on the plate that JJ held out to them and picked up the fork and fed her a piece. She followed suit and motioned to Emily.

"This is our cue to get changed, Handsome. See you on the dance floor," she said as she linked arms with the other two women and walked off.

As he watched them go, he swore he heard Emily say, "How did you talk us into this again?" He wondered what Penny could have planned, as they had never discussed this when planning the wedding reception.

He soon got his answer as the DJ announced the lights would be going out momentarily. Aaron could barely make out the three taking position in the middle of the dance floor. The lights came up at the same time the music began to play. Penelope had changed into a bright blue dress, while JJ was in red and Emily in white. Everyone watched as the women executed a near perfect recreation of the moves from 'Telephone'. At the end, Penelope came up to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him onto the dance floor as the DJ began to play their set list.

"So, how did you get them to agree to that?" he asked as he spun her around the dance floor.

"Did you forget I am the Oracle of All Knowing? That includes embarrassing high school photos. Plus, it was a great way to work off my baby weight. I added the incentive of staying in shape, and they jumped aboard. Did you remember to give Dave the key to the house so he could drop off the wedding gifts tomorrow?"

"Yes, I did that yesterday. So, how long before we can get out of here?"

"Just because Jessica will be bringing our children home later tonight does not mean we get to stay up late. Man, I do not relish waiting in line at the airport tomorrow morning. Mia still cannot get used to this new sleep schedule, and I know she's going to be cranky."

"How much do you love me?"

"Enough to spend the rest of my life with you. Why?"

"We're taking one of the jets. I arranged it with Strauss. We'll have to stop in Mexico City to drop off an agent who's going down to work with them on the drug running problem, but after that we can continue on to Allende del Sol."

She pulled him tight to her and kissed her soundly. "Oh, do you know how much I love you right at this moment?"

"And we blow this popsicle joint when?"

"Two more songs. Move me towards the exit, and we might be able to slip out unnoticed."

"How could anyone not notice you in that dress," he whispered in her ear, slipping his hands down to rest on her ass.

She smiled and lightly hit him on the shoulder. "That's for later, darling. Be good, we're almost home free."

As the next two songs played through, he maneuvered them closer to the exit. He caught Rossi's eye and nodded before they moved out into the hallway. Soon, he had joined them.

"Here are the keys to your car. I kept Morgan from really doing a number on it, but couldn't stop him from doing something. Have a good time in Mexico. We'll see you in a week or so."

Penelope hugged him quickly. "Now get back in there and dance with Strauss again. I think she likes the attention you've been giving her lately."

He just shook his head at them and went back inside the ball room. Aaron wrapped an arm around Penny's waist and they walked out to the parking lot. Even in the dim light of the parking lot, he could make out his car.

"This is why we did not drive Esther today. If Morgan had done that to my baby, well, it wouldn't have been pretty." She said as they stopped in front of the ribbon and balloon festooned vehicle.

"And we get to drive home in this," he groaned as he helped Penelope in.

"It could be much worse, Mr Hotchner," she replied as she quickly grabbed a kiss. "We could have a long way to go."

"That's true," he said as he got in and buckled his seat belt. Soon, they were on their way home, and every time a car honked at them, he cringed a little. Penelope seemed to enjoy the attention, waving at everyone in return.

Finally, they were home, and they got out of the car. "You clean up, I'll get ready for tonight," she whispered in his ear, running a hand down his front. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Mrs Hotchner," he replied, watching her sashay into their home. Frantically, he pulled off all the detritus and quickly sponged off the writing on the back window. Satisfied they wouldn't attract any attention in the morning, he bounded inside, losing clothes along the way. He opened the bedroom door and found her laying on their bed. She turned on her side to look languidly at him.

He sucked in his breath at the sight of her, all corset and lace and cobweb thin silk. "Do you like what you see, Boss Man?"

Aaron nodded, unsure if his voice would work. He took a step towards her, and she slipped off the bed, meeting him halfway. He buried his hands in her hair, drawing her close for a passionate kiss. He felt her trying to tug his undershirt off and let go of her so she could. He looked at her once more, the swell of her breasts tantalizingly close. He bent and buried his head in them, kissing them fervently. "Oh, god, Penny. Do you know how hot you look in that corset?"

"I think I have a pretty good idea," she breathily said, pulling his head back down to her breasts. He was more than happy to oblige her wants. Slowly, he guided her back to the bed, worshipping her body as they went.

"Aaron, now!" she screamed as he continued to tease and stimulate her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him tight to her. Knowing he couldn't hold back any longer, he entered her, bringing her quickly to a shattering orgasm. Soon after, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily.

After they'd caught their breath, she sat up. "Okay, can we get me out of this now? I haven't been able to breathe properly since one this afternoon." He sat up and drew her back a little, letting his legs rest alongside hers over the bed. Slowly, at first, he unlaced the corset, releasing her body from its prison. Once it was loose enough, he pulled it over her head. Immediately, she began to itch the red lines left behind on her stomach. He followed suit on her back and swore he heard her purr in pleasure as she leaned forward to allow him better access.

Bending slightly, he began to kiss up her spine, smiling at the shivers he felt beneath his lips. She bent her neck to the side to allow him to kiss her there. She squirmed in his arms, finally turning around to straddle him, capturing his lips. They fell back on the bed, wrapped up in each other.

The next morning, he woke up first. Penelope was curled up close to him, a hand on his chest. He watched her for a few minutes until she fluttered her eyes open. "Good morning, Mrs Hotchner," he said, kissing her forehead. "Shower, then breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me," she replied, stretching languorously. They got up from the bed, and Penny grabbed their clothes from the bureau. As he opened the door, the smell of breakfast hit them.

"Smells like Jessica's up already. We'll have to hurry our showers."

"Don't you mean shower?" she asked mischievously, biting her finger as she looked at him.

"Of course. That would save some much needed time for us," he replied, grinning back at her.

He was just finishing toweling off when a knock came on the door. "If you two are finished in there, we've been waiting to eat for twenty minutes. I've given Mia a bottle, so she's good to go. Also, an Erin Strauss called. She said wheels up in ninety minutes."

"Shit. Aaron, go eat with Jack. I still have to do my hair and makeup." Penelope quietly said, blowing her bangs up in frustration.

"Penny-love, you look fine. And there'll be time enough to do that on the jet, if you want," he said as he tucked his shirt into dark blue chinos. He opened the door and placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the bathroom.

While they ate, Aaron bounced Mia on his knee, cooing to her. He handed her to Penelope and helped clear the table, putting everything in the dishwasher. "Thanks for agreeing to check on the house while we're gone. David Rossi will be by to drop off the gifts later today. He has a key, so don't worry about sticking around to let him in. We'll be back in a week and a half."

"Okay, Boss Man. We're ready to go have fun in paradise," Penelope said, as she joined them in the kitchen, carrying her makeup case and holding on to Jack's hand. "Mia's in her car seat and waiting for us. Thanks again, Jessica."

Aaron took the bag from her and linked his arm through hers. In the foyer, he picked up Mia's car seat by the handle, then rested it on the crook of his arm. As he did, he glanced at his watch and sucked in a breath.

"Yeah, we're cutting it kinda close, Aaron. Good think we loaded everything in the car a couple days ago," she said as she buckled Jack in his booster seat. Then she opened the other door so he could strap Mia in. Finally, they were under way, and made it to the airfield with minutes to spare.

The agent who they were sharing the flight with helped Aaron load the luggage while Penelope got the kids settled on the plane. Once everything was aboard, Aaron let the pilot know they were ready to take off. The three and a half hour flight went smoothly, with Mia sleeping most of the time, and Jack working in the activity books his teacher had suggested they get for him.

After letting the other agent off in Mexico City they continued on to their destination. As Director Strauss had promised, there was a car waiting for them at the airfield. Aaron made plans to rendezvous with the pilot at the end of their honeymoon and then they were off.

"I hope you don't mind, but I told Captain Navarro that I'd swing by before we checked in at our hotel," he said as he pulled out onto the street.

"That's fine, I'll feed Amelia while you're talking to him."

"But you have to come in with me. I want you to meet him," he replied, taking her hand in his. She smiled and nodded her assent. The drive there was short, as the midday traffic was light, and soon he was parking in front of the police precinct.

Aaron helped Penelope out Mia in the shoulder satchel she'd bought for this trip and then took Jack's hand. Together, they entered the building, waiting among the hustle and bustle of the busy officers.

"Agent Hotchner, good to see you!" Victor Navarro said, clapping him on the back. "And this is your family?"

"Yes, this is my wife, Penelope, our daughter, Amelia, and our son, Jack. Thanks for getting me a great deal on the resort."

"It was a small enough repayment for the wonderful gift that you sent to me."

"I'm sorry?" he asked as he watched Penny step forward, holding out her hand.

"Elle?" she asked quietly, touching a young woman on the shoulder.

"Penelope? Oh, god, Penelope!" she exclaimed, hugging her gently. "And this is your?"

"Daughter. Amelia Jane Hotchner," Aaron said, moving to stand next to Penny, wrapping an arm around her waist. "It's good to see you, Elle. How have you been?"

She looked over at Captain Navarro. "I've been well, Hotch. Vic, I'm going to take my lunch now, and I probably won't be back until tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about." Navarro nodded, and they walked outside together. "I know this great little café just around the corner," she said, linking her arm though Penelope's, steering them towards the right.

Aaron and Jack followed the women, who chattered on animatedly during the short walk to the café. Elle ordered for them, while Penny fed Mia, who had finally woken up.

"So, when did you guys get together?" Elle asked. "I always thought you'd end up with Morgan, Pen."

"About eighteen months ago. There was a particularly rough case, and one thing led to another and that was it. I was in love," she replied, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"And Haley?"

"There was an unsub," Aaron said, leaning his head towards Jack.

"Oh, god, Hotch. I'm so sorry," she stammered, blushing slightly. "So, how long will you be here?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"A week and a half. It was more time than I thought Strauss would give us for our honeymoon, to be honest, and I don't even have anything on her," Penelope answered.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, with Elle showing them around the city, pointing out the best places to go for fun and relaxation. As they stopped back at the police station to drop Elle off, she suddenly spoke up. "Hey, if you want, I can watch the kids some night while you're down here. You deserve a bit of romance on your honeymoon."

"Oh my gosh, Elle, that'd be great! Don't be a stranger, write me, us. I'm sure everyone would love to hear from you," Penny said, hugging her close. She then looked at Aaron, who smiled at her, then back to Elle. "So, would tomorrow be too soon to take you up on that offer?"

"That would be fine," Elle replied with a low laugh. "I'll swing by your resort after my shift to pick them up. Have a good night."

They watched her disappear into the night. "She seems happy here. Like she's finally getting rid of her demons," Penelope quietly said, hugging Mia close to her chest.

"She's doing good work down here. Navarro said that there are a lot more women coming in to report rapes and abuse cases now that she's become an active member of the force.

"When did you talk to him?"

"While you two were shopping for yet more clothes for Mia and Jack."

"They were too cute to pass up! And that sombrero…"  
"I'm not wearing that monstrosity, Penny-love."

"Oh, yes, you are. Tomorrow night, it'll be that and a smile."

"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I could wear it for a bit," he responded, kissing her quickly before taking Mia from her and strapping her in her car seat. "We're going to need a good night's sleep, aren't we?"

"Of course we are, Boss Man. Would you expect anything else?"

"No, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

She smiled sweetly at him. "You're too good for me, Aaron."

"I think you're too good for me, at times. I don't think I'll ever know what I did to deserve this second chance at happiness, but I never want it to slip from my hands."

"I won't let that happen to us. I love you too much to ever give up on you, on us, on our family. I know what I signed up for when I got involved with you."

"Daddy, will you put my cd in? I want to listen to some music, not boring mushy talk." Penelope took the disc he held up from the back and put it in the stereo. The first song to play was 'Telephone' and Aaron groaned slightly, fighting to keep the smile off his face.

"I know this song's grown on you."

"I suppose it has. Penny-love?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for leaving your heart on the dance floor."

"And thank you for picking it up." A contented silence fell over the car, and Aaron marveled over everything he'd gained in eighteen short months. If he was honest with himself, he had left his heart on the dance floor that very first night. And he wouldn't have had it any other way.


End file.
